These stone dogs and pottery dogs are different from the porcelain carvings and colored sculptures on the roofs of Chaoshan dwellings, nor are they the mascots Feng Cai put on the roofs by dignitaries and gentry in the past. They are the primitive art that Hakka villagers pray for stone dogs to ward off evil spirits and keep peace from generation to generation, and they are a unique landscape in Hakka history. There is a legendary story about its origin.
Legend has it that at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, a man named Li Fugui camped in the sparsely populated border areas of Guangdong, Guangxi and Jiangxi to reclaim land. Wild animals often haunt the mountains, and bandits sometimes steal. So, he kept a big dog named Huang, took him hunting in the mountains during the day, and told him to watch the house at night.
"Yellow" is closely connected with human nature and is loyal to his duties. Whenever it finds wild animals or thieves, it will bark to attract the owner's attention and try its best to help the owner hunt or drive away.
Once, bandits robbed the mountain. When Huang saw that his master was tied and his property was robbed, he jumped on the bandits and fought with them. Finally, the bandit was bitten by Huang and fled in a hurry. The owner and the robbed property were saved, but Huang died of serious injuries.
Li Fugui wept bitterly and regarded "Huang" as a divine dog. He invited a stonemason to carve a dog image of "Huang" and put it on the roof, praying for the god dog to exorcise evil spirits and keep safe. Since then, the stone dog has been far-sighted on the roof for many years, guarding one side.
It is said that wild animals and bandits will run away when they see stone dogs, and the mountain village is quiet all year round. Neighboring villagers have followed suit, carving or burning stone dogs and pottery dogs of different shapes and putting them on the roof to ward off evil spirits. This folk custom has been handed down from generation to generation.
The stone dog culture of Hakkas fully shows the relationship between human beings and animals, and it is also a witness of the hard work and prayer for peace of Hakkas ancestors.
Stone dog in front of Hakka building