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Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Status: Vulnerable. Wild populations have been deteriorating slowly due to declining river regulation.

There is a great cleft in the limestone cliffs where the Yellow river spills in spectacular falls. There is a legend from the times of imperial China, where the journey of the carp to become a dragon was a metaphor for young scholars passing the civil service exams, leading to a life of prestige and success in the upper circles of society, no matter how humble the scholars' origins.

The lowly carp spends its life trying to swim up the Yellow River, each year returning to the place where it was spawned. It is an arduous journey, made more difficult by many series of cascading waterfalls throughout the length of the river. At the source of the river is a great roaring falls. If the carp were able to swim up that waterfall, it would be rewarded and transformed into a dragon. Thus, the carp is a symbol of personal advancement, perseverance, determination in the face of impossible obstacles, and inner strength.

 

References:
Lewis, Mark Edward (February 2012). The Flood Myths of Early China. SUNY Press.

Cartwright, Mark. "The Dragon in Ancient China", World History Encyclopedia, Sept 2017. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1125/the-dragon-in-ancient-china/

Oswald, Benjamin. "Longmen Grottos", World History Encyclopedia, Aug 2017. https://www.worldhistory.org/Longmen_Grottoes/

Laing, E. J. (2017). Carp and Goldfish as Auspicious Symbols and their Representation in Chinese Popular Prints. Arts Asiatiques, 72, 97-109. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44656691