Chongqing- According to the Chinese lunar calendar, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. In Chinese traditional culture, the tiger has always been regarded as an auspicious animal due to the virtues of strength, courage, and vigor they embody, and so throughout history, they have featured heavily in folk artifacts such as totems carvings, drawings, and paper cuttings.

As the Year of the Tiger is now upon us, the latest Spring Culture Exhibition Series held annually in the Chongqing Three Gorges Museum has opened on schedule, which takes visitors on a cultural journey illustrated with over 100 precious cultural relics related to the tiger.

Archaeological findings indicate the tiger originated 2 million years ago around the modern-day city of Mianchi in Henan Province. As human society and economic development progressed over the ages, the relationship between man and tiger grew ever fractious, leading to a continual deterioration of their natural habitats despite their rich cultural connotations.

When tigers ceased to be regarded as a great physical threat to human beings, they became symbols of worship on totems and gods of protection. Later, as humans transitioned from hunter-gatherers into an agricultural society, the status of tigers was eventually replaced by the dragon. However, the two beasts are still often paired together in many expressions such as “sheng-long-huo-hu” (生龙活虎), which describes a person who was brimming with energy and vigor. 

Further connotations portray the tiger as a beast of exorcism with the power to guard homes, ward off evil spirits, and accumulate wealth in the household. As a result, the tiger has become an important symbol in the Spring Festival when seeing out the old year to ring in the new.

Wherever you may be in the world, why not see in the Year of the Tiger with us on a visit to the latest Spring Culture Exhibition in the Chongqing Three Gorges Museum!