Historically What Bamboo Symbolized

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Bamboo is very popular today.
But bamboo has a long documented history that shows it was used in ancient China to make such things as arrows, buildings, books, musical instruments, mats and many more items.
Bamboo was first discovered and used in China more than 5000 years ago.
In the 1990s bamboo slips containing 13000 ancient Chinese characters were discovered in an archeological dig in China showing that bamboo was used in the early days of Confucianism.
Bamboo has a long history throughout the world and not just in China.
Throughout history bamboo has symbolized many different things in different countries.
In India, bamboo is the symbol of friendship.
In China bamboo symbolizes longevity because of its strength, resilience, adaptability and durability to survive in the harshest conditions and still endure and flourish.
In Japan, bamboo represents protection against evil spirits.
It is for that reason it is common for a bamboo forest to protect Japanese Shinto shrines.
(Shinto shrines are buildings used for storing and protecting sacred objects.
There are estimated to be around 100,000 Shinto shrines in Japan.
) In Vietnam, bamboo represents the soul and often represents optimism, unity and adaptability.
Buddhist temples often plant bamboo forests adjacent to their buildings as a way of creating a meditative and peaceful environment.
Many Asian cultures have legends surrounding bamboo and the belief that humanity actually emerged from a bamboo stem.
Philippine Islanders myths state that bamboo crosses in their fields would bring a good harvest.
A Malaysian legend details how a man discovers a woman inside a bamboo stem.
A creation story of the Andaman Islanders in the Indian Ocean state that the first man was born inside a large stalk of bamboo.
Today bamboo is used in fabrics for clothing, towels and sheets, as a material for floors, fencing, window treatments, furniture and decorative home accents such as wind chimes, coasters, vases, bowls and cutting boards to name just a few common uses.
Bamboo is a wonderful eco-alternative material for so many everyday items in our lives and though we may not be using it for the same reasons they did centuries ago it is one of the earth's most renewable resources and a great eco-conscious material of choice today.
Bamboo has an incredible growth rate.
It takes approximately 6 years to mature since it grows at a rate of several inches a day compared to 60 years for most hardwood trees.
This makes it a wonderful green alternative for many products manufactured today.
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