Jadeology 20 — From a Gentle Singing Bird to Discord: The Liangzhu People’s Belief in Animal Power

Animal figures played a critically important role in Neolithic times. Our distant ancestors admired animals for their unique abilities and powers that humans did not possess. Because of this, animals were regarded as divine beings throughout the Neolithic era. They stood above humans, acting as gods themselves or as messengers carrying out the will of higher deities.

This concept is essential to understanding our long-lost ancient culture. Without it, we cannot make sense of why, 5–6,000 years ago, the Hongshan people created so many jade animal figures—ranging from realistic depictions to composite creatures made of several animals combined into one mysterious form. Nor could we understand why Shang bronzes are filled with animal imagery. These figures embodied the beliefs of ancient people. After the Zhou replaced the Shang, however, religious views shifted, and animals lost their sacred function. Since then, the old belief in animals as divine beings gradually disappeared.

Over the following three thousand years, China never developed a unified religion across the nation. In the 20th century, after communism took hold of mainland China, the rejection of gods, religion, and faith became even stronger. This made it nearly impossible for modern Chinese society to fully grasp the concept that animals were once central to ancient religious belief, serving the highest gods and standing above humanity. Ancient texts from two thousand years ago record that jade was used to honor and communicate with deities. Most jade pieces were shaped like animals or decorated with animal motifs. Yet today, we often forget to ask why.

In my book Jade Reflections: Decoding the Western Zhou Dynasty, I devoted a section to exploring the meaning of animal designs. I traced how scholars have approached this topic, and in general, they fall into three groups:

1. Mainland Chinese scholars. Influenced by traditions of non-religion and disbelief, many have difficulty accepting that animals carried divine meaning. They often dismiss jade animal figures—whether realistic or imaginative—as mere symbols of human weakness or as “superstitions” from so-called uncivilized times, rather than as integral to a belief system.

2. Western sinologists. Represented by scholars such as Jessica Rawson, this group does not view animal figures as part of a continuous religious tradition stretching back to the Neolithic. Instead, they treat them as isolated archaeological finds—for example, jade animals from the Fu Hao tomb or occasional Western Zhou burials. While Rawson acknowledges the existence of animal forms in Hongshan culture, she emphasizes their rarity in Liangzhu. From this perspective, animal motifs appear and disappear abruptly. Yet if we look at the broader picture—from Hongshan to the early Western Zhou—the evidence suggests that animal beliefs were continuous, not sudden or discontinuous.

3. Scholars recognizing animals as divine. This group includes K.C. Chang (U.S.), Hayashi Minao (Japan), Deng Shuping (Taiwan), and myself. We believe jade animal designs carried deep meaning, representing the spiritual and religious life of ancient people. For us, ancient jade is not just artifact—it is a key to understanding a long-lost civilization, revealing how early humans thought, believed, and lived.

Of course, expressions of animal belief varied by region and period. For example, in the Northeastern Hongshan culture, we find both vivid, realistic depictions of powerful eagles and more abstracted designs that emphasize only certain features, like the beak. Liangzhu culture, by contrast, produced fewer jade animal pieces, but those that survive often depict gentle creatures such as fish, birds, and turtles. Ferocious animals are rare.

From this perspective, I suggest re-examining one of the most iconic Liangzhu motifs: the figure with large round eyes beneath a human deity. Some scholars in China identify it as a tiger, but I disagree. Given Liangzhu’s rice-based agriculture and preference for gentle animals, I believe this figure is more likely a cow. This interpretation aligns better with their cultural values and subsistence needs.

After the Western Zhou dynasty rulers moved away from animal-based divinities, human-form gods began to appear. Around 2,000 years ago, a transformation in Chinese belief took place: deities were represented in human form. Figures such as the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝), the highest deity in Heaven, and the Queen Mother of the West (西王母), said to dwell in the far western mountains, took on human-like appearances. Yet long before this shift, Shang dynasty bronze motifs reveal that gods in China were closely tied to animals. In Hongshan culture, animals were not limited to real-life creatures like birds, turtles, and fish. They also created imaginative beings such as dragons and phoenixes, and often fused different animals into a single figure, giving them a mysterious and sacred power. By contrast, animals were rare in Liangzhu jade, especially in three-dimensional form. If Hongshan animals embodied strength and majesty, Liangzhu animals expressed gentleness and quiet beauty. Instead of fierce eagles, the Liangzhu favored delicate birds—seen as messengers between humans and Heaven—creatures closely connected to their leaders and spiritual life.

A Closer Look at the Liangzhu Singing Bird

Material and stains: This piece appears to be carved from white jade, and stained fully with creamy white. It is not translucent due to its thickness and shows heavy staining, with some areas deeply marked in orange.

Design: The bird is carved in three-dimensional form—a rarity for Liangzhu jade. It is presented with realistic delicacy as a lovely singing bird. Its pointed beak and split tail are the thinnest parts, while the body thickens gradually toward the center. The entire body is finely incised with lines. The neck features a ribbon section, also fully incised. The sharply slitted tail is decorated with long, thin incised lines to suggest feathers. A drilled hole passes through the head to represent the eye, serving as a suspension hole for wearing it as a pendant.

Craftsmanship: The workmanship is highly refined, characteristic of Liangzhu jade. The surfaces are smoothly flattened and polished, particularly around the head and the drilled eye hole. Delicate incised circle patterns further demonstrate the precision and dedication of the artisan, reflecting the peak style of Liangzhu craftsmanship.

This gentle and realistic singing bird embodies the mystery of Liangzhu animal jade. Though rare, such three-dimensional animal carvings did exist in Liangzhu culture. The refined, quiet elegance of this piece reflects the aesthetic values of the Liangzhu people and adds an important missing puzzle piece to our understanding of their civilization.