Ancient Chinese rulers used elephants in battle, and the animal has long been a symbol of strength, prudence, and wisdom. The Chinese character for elephant, 象 (xiàng), is a homophone of 祥 (xiáng), meaning ‘auspicious’ or ‘lucky’. As a result, elephants frequently appear in pun rebus pictures to convey auspicious wishes.

The elephant’s reputation as a sagacious creature is deeply tied to Buddhism, which reveres it as sacred. According to Buddhist tradition, on the eve of his birth, the Buddha descended from the Tushita heaven—one of the Buddhist paradises—into his mother’s womb in the form of a six-tusked white elephant. Buddhist scholars debated the exact moment at which he assumed human form. In China, artists addressed this question by portraying the Buddha’s descent as a tiny human figure riding on an elephant’s back, visually resolving the transition between divine and human forms while reinforcing his royal lineage.

Given such an array of positive symbolism, elephants were closely associated with Chinese emperors. Several Ming dynasty (1368–1644) imperial tombs feature a long spirit path (shéndào 神道) lined with monumental statues of elephants, alongside other representations of imperial strength and wisdom. These stone sculptures, part of an elaborate funerary tradition, were believed to offer protection and demonstrate the emperor’s enduring authority in the afterlife.

description by Yibin Ni