In Chinese culture, the most-mentioned deer is thorold’s deer, while in Western culture, people often talk about reindeer. Both of them are divine and spiritual in cultures.
The Spring Festival and Christmas are the most important traditional festivals in China and the West respectively, both symbolizing the beginning of a new year. Praying for blessings is the eternal theme of traditional festivals. The God of Longevity in China and Santa Claus in the West are deeply rooted objects for people to pray for blessings. They were born in different cultures, but they both used deer as their means of transportation. Is this a coincidence or a necessity?
With the changes of the times, especially against the backdrop of global warming, the imagery of deer in Chinese and Western literary works is gradually converging, showing a common concern for life and reverence for nature.
Written by Gu Yetao, pictures designed by Wang Di.
If you liked this article why not read: A Feast for the Taste Buds: Traditional Chinese Cuisine in Ne Zha 2
