I discovered the Western zodiac signs at Dazu Nanshan Stone Carvings.

Nanshan Stone Carvings One of the five mountains of Dazu Stone Carvings I finished seeing the Nanshan Stone Carvings in half an hour, but the short visiting time doesn't mean it's not worth seeing, especially Cave 5, the Sanqing Ancient Grotto. This is a rare Southern Song Dynasty Taoist grotto, beautiful and well-preserved. Taoism's "Three Purities and Six Royals" and 360 Responding Heavenly Lords are all depicted here, a veritable "meeting of the gods." What's particularly interesting is that this grotto from the Southern Song Dynasty in China actually has images of the Western zodiac signs? ♈️ About the Zodiac Actually, this is the Taoist Zodiac, which originated in the Tang Dynasty. The Western zodiac signs are all derived from our ancestors. The Taoist Zodiac consists of: Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Libra, Gemini, Leo, Cancer, Yin Yang, Taurus, Aries, and Pisces. However, the images here are a bit different from my understanding of the Western zodiac signs. Two women are called Gemini, a man and a woman are called Yin Yang, and a man holding a *hu* tablet and wearing Song Dynasty official uniform is called Capricorn... It's so mysterious. 📸 Highlights of Sanqing Grotto ✅ Two coiled dragon stone pillars: dragon mouths facing each other ✅ Three hundred and sixty Responding Heavenly Lords in relief on both sides of the grotto ✅ Relief on the left side of the central pillar: Meeting of the Gods (my own interpretation) ✅ Statues of the Three Purities, Six Royals, and patrons 🙋🏻 Trivia The Three Purities are the three supreme deities in heaven, managing everything. Among the Six Royals, the Jade Emperor is like the general manager, a unique existence, and the other five are like vice presidents... But from the Ming and Qing dynasties until now, there are only "Three Purities and Four Royals" left, indicating that whether in heaven or on earth, competition is fierce, and everyone has to compete for their positions... 🐈 "Official" Cats There are five cats in total. Their duty is to drive away snakes, acting as a deterrent, but most of the time they are basking in the sun...