Living quietly for a thousand years, it retreats into the deep springs in seclusion. The worship of turtles …
Living quietly for a thousand years, it retreats into the deep springs in seclusion.
The worship of turtles has existed since ancient times. People regard them as symbols of warding off misfortune and attaining longevity. Turtles are gentle by nature and tend to live submerged in water. According to Song Shu, the sacred turtle is a divine being. When a ruler's virtue is pure and benevolent, the turtle emerges from the rivers and mountains during fishing and hunting, its five-colored shell vivid and bright. At the age of three hundred, it swims among the gathered leaves. At three thousand, it dwells above curled-grass herbs.