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Traditionally
to the Chinese, Pixiu has always been regarded as an auspicious
creature that possessed mystical power capable of drawing cai
qi (wealth) from all directions. In ancient times, Pixiu was originally
known as Pixie, which means to avoid evil spirits in Chinese.
As such, carvings of Pixiu were commonly displayed in ancient
architecture to ward off Yin qi and to harness auspicious qi.
Pixiu that were unearthed from ancient sites of China were described
to be fierce looking, its body is decorated with cloud like designs,
has a pair of wings, protruding eyes, sharp teeth and a curly
tail. Looking at the posture of the Pixiu, the creature seems
to project a sense of strength, elegance and mobility. As time
passes, the Pixiu that we see today has only one horn, In Taiwan,
this one horn Pixiu is also popularly known as Tian Lu.
Today, a stone winged Pixiu can be seen guarding the Chinese Embassy.
Both the design of the window (that resembles an ancient Chinese
coin) and the placement of the water feature were used to symbolize
wealth and power.
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