Art and Culture in Beijing
"This delightfully adorable folk religion deity is unique to Beijing. Legend has it that a plague fell upon the people of Beijing, and the Goddess of the Moon sent her rabbit down to Earth to cure the illness. Because the color white is associated with death, people would not allow this magical rabbit into their homes to cure their illnesses. So he went to a temple to borrow the clothes of saints to cover up the white fur, and this is the image he is remembered in. Small clay figurines of this stately bunny can be found in temple shops around the city; he is seen as the patron deity of Beijing. Lord Rabbit, or Rabbit God, is portrayed sitting on a variety of symbolic animals — like lions for protection and elephants for wealth. There are several small shops in the Dashilar neighborhood, along the main strip, that make and sell Lord Rabbit figurines." - MATADOR_NETWORK
