As the earthly branch in the Chinese traditional calendar transitions from "Chen" to "Si," the corresponding zodiac sign shifts from the Dragon to the Snake. Although the snake is also referred to as the "little dragon," and significant texts from the Eastern Han Dynasty indicate that ancient Chinese regarded the snake as a kin or incarnation of the dragon, its cultural significance differs markedly from that of the dragon. While the dragon has consistently maintained a divine status throughout the long history of Chinese culture, the snake's image is far more complex, embodying both divine and demonic qualities, as well as human and beastly characteristics. This multifaceted nature is reflected in the Palace Museum, where the number of snake-related artifacts in its collections is significantly smaller than that of dragon-related artifacts.

 

Despite this, we can still find snake-themed artistic creations from different dynasties in the vibrant folk culture and the imperial tombs where rebirth is wished for. In these works, the Reishi, appreciated by both the elite and the common people, is reflected in various artistic forms and themes, showcasing its universal appeal.

The Snake and Reishi in The Legend of the White Snake: Transformation and Rebirth

 

Among the numerous "snakes," the most well-known to the public is undoubtedly Bai Suzhen from The Legend of the White Snake. Having transformed into human form through spiritual cultivation, she marries Xu Xian to repay a life-saving favor from a previous life. By her side is Xiao Qing, who remains steadfastly loyal to Bai Suzhen—whether out of devotion or necessity after being subdued—sharing in her trials and tribulations. In the story, Bai Suzhen accidentally consumes realgar liquor, revealing her true snake form and frightening Xu Xian into a death-like state. To save her husband, she courageously ventures to Mount Kunlun to steal the magical herb, Reishi. This narrative marks the starting point for many Chinese people's familiarity with the Reishi mushroom.

 

Below is a woodblock print from the late Qing Dynasty, created by an artist in Tianjin Yangliuqing, one of China's four major centers for folk woodblock New Year prints. The print depicts a scene from The Legend of the White Snake: Bai Suzhen, in her quest to obtain the Reishi mushroom to save her husband, is stopped by the crane boy, who guards the Reishi and serves the Old Immortal of the South Pole. This confrontation takes place in front of the South Pole Cave, the residence of the Old Immortal of the South Pole, located on the left side of the upper middle section of the image. Bai Suzhen is shown wielding a sword in each hand and kneeling on one knee, with the Reishi she desperately seeks almost within her grasp.

 

The complete Tianjin Yangliuqing New Year print The Legend of the White Snake (59.5 × 106.5 cm) and a detail are currently in the collection of the Tianjin Museum. The exact date of creation is unknown, but it is estimated to date from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China period. (Image downloaded from the Guangdong Provincial Museum website: http://14.23.163.69/cn/col48/15782)

 

The deeply loving and loyal White Snake did not win the battle in the end. Fortunately, the Old Immortal of the South Pole appeared in time and, taking pity on her desperate desire to save her husband, gave her the Reishi, which allowed her to save Xu Xian's life. Later, she even gave birth to a chubby baby with Xu Xian. While the effect of Reishi in bringing the dead back to life is indeed exaggerated, it has been known since ancient times as a treasured last resort when no other medicine is available. Used in desperate situations, akin to treating a dead horse as if it were still alive, it has reportedly been able to extend life and restore vitality.

 

Xu Xian's recovery and rebirth through the Reishi echo the White Snake's own transformation. After enduring numerous trials (shedding her skin), she ultimately undergoes a complete rebirth, even in her nature, becoming human. This myth, which sprouted in the Southern Song Dynasty (12th–13th century), took shape in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century), and matured during the late Qing and early Republican periods (18th–20th century), is a collective creation by the people. Beyond its yearning for free love and its emphasis on folk justice, it imbues life with the hope that through perseverance, one can eventually achieve a complete transformation.

 

The snake and Reishi in the myth of Fuxi and Nuwa: Perpetual Life

 

Fuxi and Nüwa, depicted with human heads and snake bodies to symbolize fertility and vitality, are central figures in Chinese mythology associated with the imagery of the snake. In pre-Qin texts, they belonged to distinct mythological systems: Nüwa was originally the progenitor goddess who smelted stones to repair the heavens and molded humans from clay, while Fuxi was the tribal leader who invented tools for fishing and hunting and created the Eight Trigrams for divination to predict fortune and misfortune. It was not until the Western Han dynasty that they were united as a divine couple. Through the worship of their totems and ritual practices, people sought to harness the power of perpetual life, praying for the prosperity of descendants and the flourishing of families among the living, and blessing the deceased with the ascension of their souls to immortality, eternal life, or rebirth into a prosperous future existence.

 

Excavations of Han dynasty tombs have revealed numerous stone reliefs, known as huaxiang shi (image-bearing stone slabs or blocks used in the construction and decoration of burial chambers). These stone reliefs often depict Fuxi and Nüwa holding measuring tools referred to as guiju—specifically compasses and squares—symbolizing their identity as creators. Alternatively, they are sometimes shown holding the sun and moon, representing the harmony of yin and yang, which is considered essential for attracting good fortune and averting misfortune. Additionally, in certain instances, they are depicted holding artistically stylized Reishi mushrooms, believed to protect the living and care for the dead.

 

In 2005, the Folklore Channel of CCTV.com featured a program titled Exploring the Origins of Pangu, which introduced the following: "Archaeological discoveries in Han dynasty tombs in Henan and Shandong provinces reveal a pattern in stone reliefs depicting 'a giant embracing Fuxi and Nüwa.'" One such relief, excavated from a late Western Han dynasty tomb at the Tanghe Knitting Factory in Nanyang City, Henan Province, portrays Fuxi and Nüwa each holding what appears to be a Reishi mushroom-like celestial herb, facing each other. Their serpentine tails are encircled by the hands of a central divine figure, symbolizing the union of yin and yang.

 

This image was downloaded from the CCTV website: https://www.cctv.com/folklore/20050322/102018.shtml.

 

Similarly, in the Nanyang region of Henan Province, a joint burial tomb for a married couple from the early Eastern Han Dynasty (approximately between 25 CE and 100 CE), discovered at Qilin Hill, features a depiction on the ceiling of the main chamber. It shows Fuxi and Nüwa, with human heads and serpentine bodies, gazing at each other from a distance under the guidance of a divine beast—the Gaomei deity, who governs marriage and fertility. However, their forms resemble those of celestial immortals soaring through the heavens: Nüwa, on the left, extends both arms forward as if flying toward Fuxi; Fuxi, with his body curved in an S-shape and his weight shifted backward, holds a Reishi in his right hand and offers Zhicao with his left, as if beckoning Nüwa with his body language.

 

The Excavation Report of the Han Dynasty Stone Relief Tomb at Qilin Hill, Nanyang names the large image (260 × 92 cm) on the ceiling of the northern main chamber, composed of 6 stone slabs, as "Fuxi and Nüwa with Gaomei." The image shown is a rubbing of the stone relief. (This image was downloaded from the Henan Han Stone Relief Image Resource Database: http://www.henanhanhua.com/index.php?id=7787).

 

Dr. Chen Xiuhui, a lecturer at the School of History and Culture at Shandong University, provides a detailed explanation in her 2023 paper published in Archaeological Collectanea. According to her analysis, the presence of an umbrella-shaped cap identifies the fungal Reishi, while a cluster of leaves—varying in length, slender and curved, rising upward and backward or drooping downward—characterizes the herbaceous Zhicao. Some depictions of Zhicao also feature a spindle-shaped bud.

 

The table below, compiled based on Dr. Chen’s work, organizes these two types of imagery. By closely examining each illustrated example in the table, one can more readily identify Reishi within the subterranean art of this two-thousand-year-old tomb.

 

This table is prepared and re-edited from Table 1 in Dr. Chen Xiuhui’s 2023 paper, An Analysis of the Star Maiden Figure in the Han Tomb at Qilin Hill, Nanyang (Nanyang Qilin Gang Han Mu Mingxing Yunu Tu Shixi), available at: https://xianxiao.ssap.com.cn/bookpic/2421319.html. The images in the table are sourced from Excavation Report of the Han Stone Relief Tomb at Qilin Hill, Nanyang, accessible at the same URL.

 

The Snake and Reishi in the Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) Imagery: Guardians of Peace

 

In ancient China, the snake carries significant cultural symbolism. Together with the tortoise, it forms the "Xuanwu" (Black Tortoise), representing the northern seven constellations in the celestial system. As the directional deity and guardian spirit of the north, it joins the Azure Dragon (east), White Tiger (west), and Vermilion Bird (south) as one of the "Four Gods" or "Four Spirits." These figures are believed to guard the four directions, ward off demons, expel evil spirits, and avert calamities and misfortunes.

 

This imagery frequently appears in the residences for living humans, such as on circular ridge-end tiles at the forefront of eaves, to pray for the safety of the household, or in the residences for deceased humans, to protect the deceased from malevolent spirits. The mural titled Black Tortoise Drawing (Xuanwu Tu), located on the northern wall of the joint tomb of Han Xiu (673–740), a prime minister during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, and his wife (situated near Guoxinzhuang Village, Chang’an District, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province), exemplifies a typical depiction of Xuanwu:

 

The snake weaves through the space between the tortoise’s front and rear legs (symbolizing the harmony of yin and yang), its head and tail forming a circle (representing the eternal cycle of life). Both the gaping mouth of the snake and the protruding tongue of the tortoise glare fiercely at one another (using ferocity to suppress evil). The clouds exhaled from the mouths of the tortoise and snake (symbolizing vital life energy) and the auspicious clouds surrounding the mural (representing the heavenly realm) take on a wish-fulfilling (ruyi) shape, strikingly similar to the mature Reishi’s form.

 

(This image is sourced from the "Virtual Exhibition of Han Xiu Tomb Murals," jointly presented online by the Shaanxi History Museum and the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology: https://oe.sxhm.com/pano/vrshow/showhxm.html?t=20210209142453245358. The relative positions of images and text have been reorganized.)

 

(This image is derived from Lingzhi, published in 1976 by Science Press, authored by the Beijing Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Beijing Medical Pharmacology Teaching and Research Group.)

 

Transformation, Vitality, and Peace

 

From the primal imagery of the snake-tortoise composite in the Xuanwu image, used to safeguard homes and tombs, to the divine figures of Nüwa and Fuxi—human-headed serpents wielding the powers of creation, longevity, eternity, and rebirth—and further to Lady White in The Legend of the White Snake, who transforms from a beastly demon into a human, the snake embodies multiple layers of meaning in Chinese culture. It offers connotations of this life, the afterlife, individuals, couples, and clans, providing spiritual solace and emotional support for ancient people confronting the trials of life and death.

 

From this perspective, does Reishi not hold a similar significance for patients with chronic illnesses, those critically ill, and their families and friends? Perhaps only Reishi can bridge antiquity and modernity, spanning cultural symbolism and practical needs, helping us maintain balance in health and transform danger into safety at the crossroads of life and death.

 

Main References

 

1. Li Jiahui. "On the Evolution of Snake Imagery in Chinese Myths and Legends." Ancient and Modern Cultural Creation, Issue 40, 2022, pp. 49–52.  

 

2. Zeng Xiangwei. "Exploring the Origins of Pangu." CCTV.com Folklore Channel, March 2, 2005.  

 

3. Wu Wei. "Fuxi and Nüwa Brick Stone Reliefs." Henan Museum – Artifact Appreciation, April 25, 2017.  

 

4. Chen Xiuhui. "An Analysis of the Star Maiden Figure in the Han Tomb at Qilin Hill, Nanyang." Archaeological Collectanea, Volume 28, pp. 132–159. Social Sciences Academic Press, June 2023.  

 

5. Nanyang City Museum. "Excavation Report of the Han Stone Relief Tomb at Qilin Hill, Nanyang." Henan Han Stone Relief Image Resource Database, October 7, 2022.  

 

6. Jin Zilin et al. "Conservation and Restoration of the Black Tortoise Drawing Mural in Han Xiu’s Tomb." Proceedings of the 10th Annual Conference of the China Association for Preservation Technology of Cultural Relics, pp. 373–380. Science Press, 2020.  

 

7. Chen Qiwen. "An Exploration of the Double-Headed Tortoise-Snake Hook-and-Ring Imagery of Xuanwu." Zhongxing University Literary Journal, Issue 27 Supplement, pp. 85–120, December 2010.  

 

8. Zhu Cunming. "On the Representation of Ancient Chinese Mythology in Han Pictorial Stones." Zhongxing University Literary Journal, Issue 27 Supplement, pp. 177–205, December 2010.

 

END

 

★ This article is exclusively authorized by the author for publication, and its ownership belongs to GanoHerb.

★ The above works cannot be reproduced, excerpted or used in other ways without the authorization of GanoHerb.

★ Those who have been authorized to use the works should use them within the scope of authorization and indicate the source: GanoHerb.

★ GanoHerb will pursue legal responsibilities against those who violate the above statement.

★ The original manuscript of this article was authored in Chinese by Wu Tingyao and subsequently translated into English by Alfred Liu. In the event of any inconsistencies between the English translation and the original Chinese text, the latter shall take precedence. For any queries, pls reach out to the original author, Ms. Wu Tingyao.