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Bixi
EntityQ28770· pop 17· linked from 274 articles

Also known as Baxia, Guifu, 贔屭, Gwibu

Bixi, or Bi Xi (), is a figure from Chinese mythology. One of the nine sons of the Dragon King, he is depicted as a dragon with the shell of a turtle. Stone sculptures of Bixi have been used in Chinese culture for centuries as a decorative plinth for commemorative steles and tablets, particularly in the funerary complexes of China's later emperors and to commemorate important events, such as an imperial visit or the anniversary of a World War II victory. They are also used at the bases of bridges and archways. Sculptures of Bixi are traditionally rubbed for good luck, which can cause conservat

Key facts

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Bixi
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Nestorian stele 2.jpg
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The Xi'an Stele (781) is borne by a Bixi in the pedestal.
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Sculpted , donated 1936
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,
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bìxì
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Pi-hsi
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Pa-hsia Dragon
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Bàxià
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Pa-hsia
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guifu
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turtle tablets
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guīfū
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kuei-fu
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贔屭
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ひき

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Bixi
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Article

10 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Outside China
  • Development as an art form
  • Name
  • Stone tortoises in art and popular lore
  • Preservation concerns
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • External links

Bixi, or Bi Xi (), is a figure from Chinese mythology. One of the nine sons of the Dragon King, he is depicted as a dragon with the shell of a turtle. Stone sculptures of Bixi have been used in Chinese culture for centuries as a decorative plinth for commemorative steles and tablets, particularly in the funerary complexes of China's later emperors and to commemorate important events, such as an imperial visit or the anniversary of a World War II victory. They are also used at the bases of bridges and archways. Sculptures of Bixi are traditionally rubbed for good luck, which can cause conservation issues. They can be found throughout East Asia and the Russian Far East.

==History== thumb|left|upright|A dragon-headed bixi with a stele in memory of the Qianlong Emperor's rebuilding of the [[Marco Polo Bridge, Beijing, ]] left|thumb|412x412px|A bixi at the bottom of the Xi'an Stele

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