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EntityQ758019· pop 9· linked from 210 articles

Also known as 螭吻, 蚩吻

Chiwen () is a roof ornamental motif in traditional Chinese architecture and art. Chiwen is also the name of a Chinese dragon that mixes features of a fish, and in Chinese mythology is one of the nine sons of the dragon, which are also used as imperial roof decorations. As architectural ornaments or waterspouts, they are comparable with Western gargoyles, but are not related to the mythological character.

Wikidata facts

Instance of
mythical hybrid
Said to be same as
Shachihoko
Show 1 more fact
Commons category
Chiwen
Sources (1)

via Wikidata · CC0

~6 min read

Encyclopedic overview

7 sections
Contents
  • Etymology
  • History
  • Symbolism
  • Gallery
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

Chiwen () is a roof ornamental motif in traditional Chinese architecture and art. Chiwen is also the name of a Chinese dragon that mixes features of a fish, and in Chinese mythology is one of the nine sons of the dragon, which are also used as imperial roof decorations. As architectural ornaments or waterspouts, they are comparable with Western gargoyles, but are not related to the mythological character.

== Etymology == The name for this dragon is , which compounds and . and , both literally meaning "hornless-dragon head".

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Chiwen” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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