Lantern Festival parade

This painting depicts children carrying an elephant. The pronunciation of the Chinese word for elephant sounds like the word for auspicious, so elephants have auspicious connotations. In ancient times, people would say, "When there are elephants, there is peace," which symbolized good fortune, abundance, and peace around the world. Elephants have been regarded as divine creatures since antiquity. People in Guangzhou believe that water represents wealth and, as elephants have long noses that can suck up water, they believe that placing an elephant in your shop or home will bring prosperity and good fortune.