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In modern times, this legendary creature’s historical physical appearance has been somewhat lost, and is now more commonly depicted with only one antler. They have the head of a Chinese dragon, the body of a lion, and historically sport on their heads either one antler (male) or two antlers (female). Their legend has been passed down through 2,000 years of Chinese lore. Pixiu are auspicious, winged animals, written about in ancient Chinese history and heralded through the millennia by fantastic stories of powerful and grandiose feats of victory in battle. Today, Pixiu are a popular design on jade pendants.
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Statues of this creature are often used to attract wealth in feng shui. Pixiu crave the smell of gold and silver and like to bring their masters money in their mouth. Displaying Tiānlù at home or in the office is said to prevent wealth from flowing away. When it returns to its master's house, the Bìxié is then said to guard the riches. It is said to go out into the world to search for gold and other forms of wealth. Tiānlù ( 天祿 tiānlù t'ien-lu): The male of the species is in charge of wealth.It is also believed that Bìxié have the ability to assist anyone who is suffering from bad feng shui from having offended Tai Sui ( 太歲). "to ward off evil spirits"): The female of the species wards off evil. The one with two antlers is the female and is called a Bìxié, and the one with one antler is the male and is called a Tiānlù. There are two types of Pixiu that are categorised by their antlers. Therefore, traditionally to the Chinese, Pixiu have always been regarded as auspicious creatures that possessed mystical powers capable of drawing cai qi ( 財氣 wealth) from all directions, and according to the Chinese zodiac, it is especially helpful for those who are going through a bad year. A Pixiu is an earth and sea variation, particularly an influential and auspicious creature for wealth, and is said to have a voracious appetite exclusively for gold, silver, and jewels. Pixiu are considered powerful protectors of feng shui practitioners, and resemble strong, winged lions. Pixiu ( 貔貅 píxiū P'i-hsiu Old Chinese ( ZS) * bi-qʰu) is a Chinese mythical hybrid creature.
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