Whirling winds and roaring thunder shake Heaven and Earth. Leaping and plunging, the red carp are awesome in their onrush. Brocade scales innumerable rise and fall at once. Wishing to follow the spring tide, they cross the Dragon Gate.
This poem, "Written on a Picture of Red Carp" by Li Ch'i of the Yuan Dynasty (1271--1368), describes the magnificent sight of schools of carp ascending the rapids at Lungmen, or Dragon Gate, on the Yellow River during the spring thaw.
In Chinese tradition, the carp is an auspicious creature, capable of transforming itself into a dragon, and the expression "a carp leaping past Dragon Gate" is a metaphor for career success.
Because the inheritance of pigmentation in carp is unstable, many single-color mutations have developed. The ancient Chinese gave these varieties picturesque names, such as "red stallion," "green steed," "black colt," and "yellow charger." The names were all related to horses because carp were said to be ridden in rivers and lakes by spirits and fairies.
Pretty as the names may sound, the carp's basic function in China was to be eaten rather than admired. The first to cultivate carp for appreciation were the Japanese, who received the fish as a gift from the Chinese court during the T'ang Dynasty (618--907). Centuries later, the Japanese eventually bred a variety called chinli, or "brocade carp," which is particularly prized by connoisseurs.
The over one hundred varieties of brocade carp that exist today are all combinations of four basic types: goldfish; red-and-white carp; three-color Taisho carp, which are red and white with black spots; and three-color Showa carp, which have black patches instead of spots. And while breeding techniques have advanced over the years, even today the hereditary process is no sure thing; the chances of a pair of three-color Showa carp passing on their characteristics is just one in five, another reason why prized breeds are so precious.
As to what constitutes a "prize specimen," aficionados have detailed criteria. Out of a possible score of one hundred, bearing and build comprise about thirty points, color thirty, patterning twenty, "inner quality" ten, and "style" ten.
A brocade carp whose build, color, patterning, quality, and style are all first-rate can be valued at as much as NT$600,000 (around US$17,000), while a mid-class specimen sells for several tens of thousands of NT dollars.
The price is not low, but the market for the fish on Taiwan remains strong. According to Lin Ch'eng-ts'ai, a breeder who sells brocade carp, one of the reasons for the fish's popularity, besides its beautiful appearance and auspicious connotations, is its adaptability.
The brocade carp has a peaceful disposition and gets along well with other fish in the same pond. Also, its vital powers are strong and resilient. A brocade carp on the Japanese island of Hokkaido once survived being frozen in for three months. And should their owner forget to feed them for one or two weeks, the fish have no problem.
In addition, the brocade carp prefers temperatures of from 4 to 32 degrees centigrade, so Taiwan's climate is ideal.
The average life span of the brocade carp is seventy years, and one hundred is not uncommon. In Japan one red-and-white carp named Hanako lived to 226. It was born in 1751, 25 years before the American Revolution, grew to a length of 77 centimeters and a weight of 9 kilograms, and "joined the immortals" just a few years ago.
Raising a brocade carp that lived to a hundred and remained in the family for three generations would be the ultimate in keeping goldfish!
[Picture Caption]
This red-and-white carp has well-defined markings and is quite valuable. (courtesy of T'ai yi Tropical fish store)
This three-color Taisho carp has good coloration, but the red spot on its mouth is a defect. (courtesy of T'ai yi Tropical fish store)
This three-color Showa carp won an island-wide competition. Its current owners have refused to part with it despite offers up to NT$600,000 (over US$17,000). (courtesy of T'ai yi Tropical fish store)
The carp is an auspicious animal to the Chinese. This pillar from a temple in Sanhsia depicts "a carp leaping past Dragon Gate."
A carp's life is a carefree one.
Fishy, fishy, come on up; I've got bait without a hook.
This red-and-white carp has well-defined markings and is quite valuable. （courtesy of T'ai yi Tropical fish store）
This three-color Showa carp won an island-wide competition. Its current owners have refused to part with it despite offers up to NT$600,000 （over US$17,000）. （courtesy of T'ai yi Tropical fish store）
The carp is an auspicious animal to the Chinese. This pillar from a temple in Sanhsia depicts "a carp leaping past Dragon Gate.".
A carp's life is a carefree one.
Fishy, fishy, come on up; I've got bait without a hook.
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