Figure 1 shows a regimental commander's banner of the Rattan-Shield Brigade, which was one of the Qing special operations forces. Representing the metal of the Five Elements, tigers have, long been a symbol of martial values in Chinese culture.

As we have mentioned above, the white tiger stands for the seven constellations of the west. Hence in literature, Xiwangmu [西王母], ‘the Queen Mother of the West’, one of the most important deities of the Han Daoist pantheon, is described as having tiger’s teeth and tail (Figure 2). In burials, the deity sat on a throne decorated with a tiger and a dragon, the opposing yin-yang forces moving the universe, which the Queen Mother transcended.

The character hu, 虎, for tiger, is in fact homophone with hu, 护, meaning protection, which must have clearly been sought to protect the tomb occupants against the malign influences they may encounter in their afterlife.

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