On June 22, Director General Li Li of Beijing Service Bureau for Diplomatic Missions attended the naming ceremony for Wencui Pavilion of LCC. The two characters of wen and cui are echoed by the couplets at LCC entrance: In Their Quest for Knowledge of 5,000-year Culture, Students Come from the Seven Continents. At this place where talents gather, LCC teachers impart knowledge to students from the seven continents and tell them stories about China's 5,000-year history.

Hexagonal Pointed-roof Pavilion

Adopting the traditional Chinese architectural design, Wencui Pavilion has a hexagonal pointed roof, six ridges and 18 ridge animals, with both numbers carrying auspicious meanings. Appearing during the Warring States period, this architectural style became very popular in the design of gardens and ritual architecture in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Ridge Animals

Besides only serving as simple decoration, ridge animals of ancient buildings have practical functions too. They were originally designed to protect the nails on the roof ridge from getting rusty. With their wisdom, ancient workmen wore a hat on the nails, which is the origin of the ridge animals.

The first of the ridge animal family is an immortal riding a phoenix. He is placed at the front of the ridge to dispel evil spirits. The immortal is followed by ten mythical animals, a dragon, a phoenix, a lion, a heavenly horse, a seahorse, a Suanni (mythical lion), a Yayu (rain-summoning and fire-preventing fish), a Xiezhi (courageous goat with divine power to tell right and wrong), a Douniu (evil-dispelling bull), and a Hangshi (immortal guardian).

The bigger the number of ridge animals, the higher the rank of the building.

Color Paintings

Confucius giving lecture on the terrace under apricot trees ↓

Lao Tzu going out of Hangu Pass ↓

Eight Immortals crossing the sea ↓

Come and discover more stories on the color paintings.