# Eberhard, *Dictionary of Chinese Symbols*, 1986 > [!cite] > Eberhard, Wolfram. *A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought*. London: Routledge, 1986. https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofchin00wolf/. > [!abstract] > This unique and authoritative guide describes more than 400 important Chinese symbols, explaining their esoteric meanings and connections. Their use and development in Chinese literature and in Chinese customs and attitudes to life are traced lucidly and precisely. --- ‘According to many texts, there are no male hares, and hares become pregnant by licking newly sprung plant shoots: to give birth, she spits the young from her mouth.’ [[Eberhard, Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, 1986|(Eberhard 1986, 139)]] ^c62ea9 ‘The Utopian socialist Kang You-wei (1858-1927) … made a strong plea for “love-contracts” valid for a given period (*jia-hao zhi yue)*. This period should be not more than a year, not less than a month; the antiquated terms “husband” and “wife” were to be discarded, and “love-contracts” for life were not to be allowed (“*Da Tong Shu”* = “The Book of the Great Equality”, 1902). This Utopia came to nothing, however …’ [[Eberhard, Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, 1986|(Eberhard 1986, 262–263)]] ^d894ea ‘“A shadow wall” is a short wall built directly behind the main entrance to keep out evil spirits. The point is that spirits can only move in a straight line and are therefore unable to make a diversion round the “shadow wall”.’ [[Eberhard, Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, 1986|(Eberhard 1986, 263)]] ^4f1dd4 ‘Above all, no one should be given pears on the 15th day of the 7th month, for this is the day which the spirits of the dead spend on earth, and pears would bring their loss home even more forcefully to bereaved families.’ [[Eberhard, Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, 1986|(Eberhard 1986, 229)]] ^a29035 ‘Of course, grammatical brevity has its own drawbacks. Taken out of context, a Chinese utterance can be very difficult to understand. And yet, it may even add to the charm of a love poem if we do not know whether a man is addressing a woman or another man.’ [[Eberhard, Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, 1986|(Eberhard 1986, 8)]] ^be3813 ‘Confucius … is supposed to have said: “Eating and sex (*se*) are given by nature.”’ [[Eberhard, Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, 1986|(Eberhard 1986, 263)]] ^0b1ce7 ‘The term *yue-jing* = “month-period” is often replaced by such metaphors as “little red sister has come”, “the red news”, “the monthly news”, “the first tide”, “the red general grasps the door”, “riding a horse”.’ [[Eberhard, Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, 1986|(Eberhard 1986, ‘Menstruation’)]] ^2b1682