Nian Shou, the Chineese new year's monster

In the Chineese tradition, Nian Shou is an malefic animal with a lion head and a bull corp which gave his name to the year (Nian=year ; shou=animal). His legend is linked to the customs of chineese new year. He’s represented like a lion.

In the ancient time, legends told that there was a wild animal who, one time per winter, went down of mountains for approaching villages. He came the night and left in the morning. After a lot of years, populations found weaknesses about that animal and they prepared resistance. Indeed Nian Shou fhrightened light, red color and noise. So, each winter, people hung red rags on doors, they closed animals and persons inside in houses and ate chated about dishes they had prepared for this night. When they were hearing Nian Shou near houses, they did sound for he return in mountains. After, Ziwei(a chineese god) went down on earth for attaching Nian, who definitivey stopped disturbing human people.

Nowadays thoses customs are against repeated the revillon of the new years with firecrackers, fireworks, Fires of Bengal, and traditionnals signs( Chun Lian) written on red papers and sticked on doors.