A special place in Asian and Eastern culture is bamboo. The value of this plant is multifaceted, which makes it possible to use it as a means for treating diseases and establishing human energy. Bamboo is an evergreen viable plant. Well, let's try to explore with you the basic oriental symbols of bamboo, why this plant should be kept at home and what it attracts to the owner. You will also find out where and how bamboo grows, how it is used. It will not hurt you to learn about an interesting animal - a bamboo bear. Then on the road ...
Eastern display of happiness and spiritual truth
Growing bamboo is a symbol of undying love, fidelity, reliability, good luck in the family. It symbolizes the constant growth, power, good health of the whole family. This is a very powerful display of longevity, the ability to pass through any obstacles.
At the same time, this plant is associated with grace, constancy, flexibility and plasticity. This evergreen handsome man recalls blooming old age, long friendship, longevity.
Bamboo - a symbol of resilience in China
Oriental reed in China grows everywhere, even in northern Beijing. It has become a symbol of longevity and resilience due to its strength. After all, this is grass, which sometimes grows above any tree. It can grow in China everywhere. Bamboo is not afraid of either heat or cold. More than 140 species of powerful reed grass grow in China.
All year round, indoor bamboo remains green. Home care allows you to observe this wonderful plant for a long time. In nature, it is also an evergreen. Its flowering occurs in the winter, which gives the grass special endurance and protection. Bamboo thickets in winter protect Chinese settlements from strong winds. The plant is so flexible that under the influence of a strong wind it can bend to the ground. And when the weather passes, he again returns to a vertical position. That is why many Chinese learn from him to overcome life's difficulties and not to change themselves.
Many artists and sages are inspired by such a wonderful metaphor of human life and nature. Artists draw bamboo alongside other Chinese symbols: chrysanthemums, blooming plums, pine trees. The bamboo depicted in the picture is associated with summer, strength and sincerity.
The Chinese often tell one story about bamboo. One woman wanted to make soup from the green leaves of reed grass in the winter. She asked her son to find them. The son was looking for bamboo for so long that from despair he even began to cry. His tears fell on the cold ground, and when it thawed in the spring, young green shoots sprouted in that place. The Chinese believe that this was God's payment for the son’s love for his mother. This is the power that the Chinese give this plant.
Japanese interpretation of bamboo symbolism
Japanese young shoots of bamboo, breaking out of the earth, are associated with eternal youth and indomitable power. He also carries with him truthfulness and devotion. The Japanese deliberately put pieces of bamboo on the fire so that they cracked with sound and cast out evil spirits.
Flutes were also made from bamboo wood to invoke good spirits. It was enough to cut out the name of a good spirit on the pipe and perform an improvised melody on it. For the Japanese, bamboo is the strongest divine tree that strengthens the spiritual connection with nature. Amulets are made of it, protecting their owner from natural disasters and bad incidents.
Feng Shui Bamboo
Today, many people know how bamboo grows, because the plant is revered not only in Japan and China, but also supporters of feng shui in other countries. This potted reed is placed at home to attract good luck and happiness. After all, it symbolizes with all its appearance development, growth and unfolding of potential. That is why this oriental grass is called "bamboo of happiness." But the magical properties of the reed do not end there. It perfectly harmonizes the space, gives households peace, a peaceful state of mind, and relaxes.
In feng shui, using bamboo, you can attract male energy, adjust its flows, direct them in the right direction. A potted plant is also used to protect the house from negative energy. The same properties are possessed by products from bamboo stems: flutes, tubules.
Many in the cottages or household plots plant several types of plants, and then watch the beautiful sound of bamboo in the wind, reminiscent of an orchestra performance. To activate the wealth zone, Feng Shui advises planting the eastern symbol of bamboo on the southeast side of the site. Some varieties of bamboo feel comfortable not only in the ground, but also in the water, which must be changed periodically.
It is believed that the three stems of bamboo bring harmony and harmony to family life. Seven reed stalks will improve health. Good luck in business and all sorts of benefits will bring eight stems of the plant. Nine stems are responsible for luck and success. The symbol of friendship and fidelity will be 20 plants. The activator of success in any area of life is considered 21 stems. It is believed that four bamboos cannot be planted side by side, since this figure in Chinese means death.
Feng Shui says that bamboo is a great gift for happiness, because it is not only a symbol of resilience. It is useful for both men and women. This reed grass gives everyone energy, strength, endurance, confidence.
How does tropical reed grow?
And now a little about how bamboo grows and about its external signs. The plant consists of woody, knotty stems that can reach a height of up to 25 meters. Only at the top of the grass are lanceolate leaves and flowers in the form of simple and branched panicles. In some cane varieties, the stem diameter can reach 30 cm, and the trunk height - 40 m. In total, there are 600 varieties of bamboo.
The plant is very hardy, not afraid of water, sun and temperature changes. Bamboo growth is very rapid - up to 40 cm per day. But the stalk begins to stiffen only after three years. Some varieties bloom only once in a hundred years, others once in a lifetime, and then die.
Use bamboo
The use of bamboo is quite wide. Its lightweight sturdy stems go to the manufacture of furniture. Also made of young wood baskets, mat, toys. A special brown bamboo paper, brushes, and pencils are made from the plant.
Seeds, stems, young shoots of bamboo are widely used in medicine. So, the inner part of the cortex helps eliminate inflammation in the respiratory system. The juice of young bamboo is widely used. It is taken to dissolve kidney stones and gall bladder. Often, bamboo essential oils are used in cosmetology.
Indoor bamboo: home care, features
Decorative or indoor bamboo is often planted as a symbol of well-being. There are many subspecies of ornamental plants, differing in size and shades. It is important to note that this plant does not like the sun, it has enough diffused light. So that it is in the shade, it is better to place it on the floor. Draft decorative bamboo is afraid. A comfortable temperature for it will be from +17 to +30 ° C.
Very often, a certain type of decorative bamboo is grown in water, which is constantly changed (once a week). Only melt or rain water is suitable for its development. To do this, it is pre-frozen in the freezer, pouring into plastic bottles. Bamboo also feels great in the soil for ornamental plants.
Big panda in the bamboo thicket
In the bamboo thickets there is a very interesting animal of the bear family - a bamboo bear. The area of its distribution is the forests of South China. These are very beautiful big pandas. The name of this animal is not accidental, because it loves to feast on stems and leaves of bamboo. A bamboo bear can eat up to 40 kg of plants per day. In addition, he also feeds on small animals and bird eggs.
In nature, the big panda is a small animal, in total there are about 100 individuals. The Chinese have created special reserves to protect this species. The bamboo bear is listed in the Red Book.