A Pi Xiu is a mythical animal considered as very lucky in feng shui to attract good fortune. It has the head of a dragon, body of a lion and the legs of a qilin (another mythical chinese creature). It does not have an anus hence believed that all the good fortune it gets is kept inside that's why it is good to have at home. In choosing one, better to have one that's huge with a big stomach, made in either jade or bronze. In our tour of the City Walls in Xian, we were told that this was our "lucky day", viewing of the Pi Xiu only happens 72 days a year and today was one of them. (Although I do think this is a great marketing ploy because there was a shop later on where several different kinds were on sale haha) We were taught on how to rub the Pi Xiu to bring in good luck then to immediately put our hands inside our pockets to keep the luck with us. Kids had fun making a wish before touching the Pi Xiu.

Am happy the kids get to bond with the other Filipino kids, especially with kids of close family friends.. may help them preserve their heritage. Their experiences in seeing and hearing other traditions may make for wider perspectives as they grow. gilda t garbanzos · 2011-03-27: 19:14

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