41
saw one or more zhouyu at one time.) Ouyang Xiu had not chosen to provide a description of the animal. He was supposed to have made the remark: “Zhouyu? What is a zhouyu? I haven't the slightest idea".
Ming dynasty accounts of the chouyu were much more specific,
During the second year of the Yunglo reign (1404 A.D.), Zhu Su, an imperial uncle who had been in exile in Yunnan, today's panda country, brought into Beijing two rare animals, which he called shouyu. Unfortunately, there was no physical description of these animals.
In 1413, a zhouyu was seen in Shandong. Again, there was no description of the animal.
In 1429, however, the military governor in the region of Jiangsu and Anhui sent into Beijing two zhouyu by a "special courier". The Xuande Emperor was so excited that he called together all civil and military officials then at court, as well as all tributary envoys in the capital, to witness such a wondrous sight”.
One eye-witness reported that these animals were "white and gentle". Another official present, the Minister of Finance, who, more likely than not, had never seen a wild animal before, but knew what they had looked like from his readings, proclaimed that the zhouyu had "a leopard's head and a tiger's body". He continued, "They were white, with black limbs. Such gentleness! Their appearance at this time must be harbingers of a bountiful harvest!"
ConclusionS no winners
While one must give credit to these research scholars of the 1930s for their diligence and ingenuity in lining up classical scholarship and historical sources in their corner, it is difficult for an objective observer today to accept their conclusions without demanding more convincing evidence. The pixiu was a legendary animal. Neither version of the mo seems completely fault-free. The zhouyu, if any of these animals has to be accepted as the giant panda, would be the least grudging choice. Still, powerful arguments can be mounted against such a selection.
41
saw one or more zhouyu at one time.) Ouyang Xiu had not chosen to provide a description of the animal. He was supposed to have made the remark: “Zhouyu? What is a zhouyu? I haven't the slightest idea".
Ming dynasty accounts of the chouyn were much more specific,
During the second year of the Yunglo reign (1404 A.D.), Zhu Su, an imperial uncle who had been in exile in Yunnan, today's panda country, brought into Beijing two rare animals, which he called shouyu. Unfortunately, there was no physical description of these animals.
In 1413, a zhony was seen in Shandong. Again, there was no description of the animal.
In 1429, however, the military governor in the region of Jiangsu and Anhui sent into Beijing two Jhonyu by a "special courier". The Xuande Emperor was so excited that he called together all civil and military officials then at court, as well as all tributory envoys in the capital, to witness such a wondrous sight”.
+
One eye-witness reported that these animals were "white. and gentle". Another official present, the Minister of Finance, who, more likely than not, had never seen a wild animal before, but knew what they had looked like from his readings, proclaimed that the zhouyu had "a leopard's head and a tiger's body". He continued, "They were white, with black limbs. Such gentleness! Their appearance at this time must be harbingers of a bountiful harvest!"
ConclusionS no winners
While one must give credit to these research scholars of the 1930s for their diligence and ingenuity in lining up classical scholarship and historical sources in their corner, it is difficult for an objective observer today to accept their conclusions without demanding more convincing evidence. The pixiu was a legendary animal. Neither verison of the mo seems completely fault free. The zhouyu, if any of these animals has to be accepted as the giant panda, would be the least grudging choice. Still, powerful arguments can be mounted against such a selection.
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