Nian

 



The nian is a mythical beast from China. It is associated with the lunar new year. It’s full name nian shou means year beast, although the name is usually shortened to just nian. The nian looks like a giant lion with a single horn in the middle of its forehead. It has monstrous fangs or tusks. The niam is huge, the size of a house or larger.


The legend says that each year on new years the people of a remote village would hide away in their homes in fear. The nian would come out of the ocean or the mountains, depending on where the village was said to be, and devour everything, animals, people, etc. So the people would lock their doors, hide away inside and not make a sound, for fear the nian would find them.


One day an old beggar wandered into town on the evening of new years. He saw everyone running away, turning out their lights and locking their doors. He went around knocking on doors, asking for a place to stay, but no one would answer him. At one house and old lady answered the door. She gave him a bowl of food to eat and told him everyone was hiding from a monster that attacks the village once a year. She pleaded with him to leave the village before midnight or he would be eaten too. The beggar said he knew a way to defeat the nian and he would share it with the village if the lady let him stay there for the night. She agreed to this.


He covered her house in red banners, hung red lanterns, lit all the lights. He brought out fire crackers from the back he was carrying with him. The neighbours saw what the beggar and the old lady were doing. They begged them to take all the decorations down or they will doom the town, but they refused. Midnight came and the nian entered the town. The beggar set off the fire crackers. He and the old woman banged pots and pans together, beat on drums and yelled and clapped loudly. Instead of attacking, the nian was frightened away by the colour red, bright lights and loud noises.


Every year after that, instead of hiding away the villagers would celebrate new years. They would do the same things the wandering beggar showed them, decorating with the colour red, hanging lanterns everywhere the light up the town, set off fire crackers, beat drums and cheer loudly. And to celebrate their triumph over the monster the people of the village would get dressed up in their best clothes, visit their neighbours and share food. Soon the practice spread all over China, and that was the origin of the celebrations for lunar new year.


Sources

https://www.confuciusinstitute.ac.uk/the-legend-of-the-beast-nian-origins-of-chinese-new-year/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng0bF2_YkcE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZM5I-g4Kng


https://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/new-year/story.htm



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