A Story about Tiger Shoes

Updated: 2007-06-12 09:18

The tiger has played a important role in Chinese Culture. As symbol of power, bravery and stateliness, the image of the tiger has widely been used in ancient times. Patterns of tigers' heads have been carved on weapons, embroidered on the ceremonial robes of high officials, drawn on paintings, even placed on children's pillows. People believe that the tiger can ward off all evil and misfortunes, and it's surely an auspicious thing to have a tiger pattern in sight.

But even as many tiger images have faded from people's gaze, It' s still not rare to find little tiger shoes on babies' feet in China today. And the cute little tiger shoes, as a part of the Chinese folklore culture, can also be seen in display at any folklore museum in the country.

The shoes, which entirely made of cloth, are made in the shape of a little tiger. The most interesting part of the tiger shoes must be the toe-caps, made into the shape of a tiger's head. This lovely tiger's head which is actually the toe cap, always features stripes on the tiger's forehead with cloth pieces and featuring the tiger's whiskers, with colorful thread fringes. Wearing tiger shoes, an already-cute baby looks brimmed-over with vigor and vitality.
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