The Tungusic people considered the Siberian tiger as something close to a deity, and called it ‘Grandfather’, or ‘old man’. In Buddhism, the tiger is referred to as one of the Three Senseless Creatures (or animals ruled by a baser human emotion) where it symbolises rage and anger, along with the monkey which represents greed, and the deer which represents lovesickness.
There are many legends and tales concerning tigers different cultures. Even outside of a traditional tiger safari, the animal can be seen in many places within Chinese culture. In various Chinese martial arts, the ‘tiger’ form is used as a metaphor for aggressive movements and stances, and one southern Chinese martial art, Hung Ga, is said to be based on the movements of tigers and cranes. In the era of Imperial China, a tiger was deemed to be the personification of war and warfare, and was often used as a symbol to represent the highest army general – a tradition that continues to this day, as it is also used to represent the defence secretary in the Chinese government. The tiger takes its place amongst the 12 animals of the Zodiac, where it’s associations of pride, competitiveness, and abilities as a hunter are emphasised. Many modern cartoon depictions of tigers in China and Korea are drawn with this mark on their forehead, as a nod to these mythical associations. A tiger safari may not quite let you see the wrath of a tiger up close, though – and that’s a good thing! In graphic depictions, the Chinese tiger often has a marking on its forehead, 王, which is the Chinese character for ‘king’, and echoes the distinctive stripes of the tiger. Though many African myths and stories centre on the lion, in China, the tiger takes its place as foremost among the big cats, representing royalty, fearlessness, and wrath. Here are a few of the most interesting appearances of tigers, from ancient myths to the modern media. While a tiger safari can enable people to observe these animals in their natural habitat in the wild, the symbol of the tiger can be seen in many stories and legends across the world.
Predatory big cats have fascinated humanity for centuries, and tigers are at the forefront of the trend, due to their unique appearance and the symbolic associations made with them since time immemorial. Over the course of centuries, the tiger has become immortalised in various myths, stories, traditions and aspects of popular culture all over the world.
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