China: Saying thanks in cat's language

A photo of a wall banner hanging in an animal clinic went viral on Chinese social media recently, as this special thank-you was written in 'cat’s language'.

The picture was posted on the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, Weibo, by a man who was waiting in the clinic for his two cats to be sterilized.

He burst into laughter when he saw the banner with the Chinese characters for “meow, meow, meow”.

This cute message of thanks, as if direct from the animal patient's mouth, melted many pet lovers’ heart. For a Weibo user who usually only gets double-digit views, the post has brought him nearly 50,000 times of that within days.

Many commented below the post, trying to decode the "cat language" of saying thanks.

One of them went so far as to draw a lovely cartoon picture of two cats presenting the banner to their vet.

Why not just write a thank-you card?

There are universal ways to show one's gratitude. Sending flowers for instance or a fruit basket and a thank-you card.

But China has the unique tradition of giving jinqi - banners emblazoned with expressions of praise.

Traditionally, presenting jinqi banners is regarded as a sincere way to express appreciation for big favors in China.

The crimson banners, decorated with gold tassels, are commonly seen in the offices of physicians, teachers and policemen.

Man presenting a jinqi banner to the bus driver that found his money in February, 2017.

Unlike flowers that perish quickly or letters of thanks read in private, jinqi banners endure time and are designed to be displayed publicly. The large crimson wall hangings are a good sign for anyone who walks in the door.

Soldiers receiving jinqi banners from people in Lanxi, East China's Zhejiang province, in July, 2017.

If the receivers serve in public positions, a jinqi banner also has the benefit of exempting them of suspicions they take bribes.

A French man presenting a jinqi banner to the police who helped him find his family in 2012.

As tokens worth preserving, jinqi banners were once sewn or embroidered by hand. But nowadays anyone can order customized ones online for less than 100 yuan.

No doubt the extra attention generated by the "meow" jinqi will prompt more sales.

Young couples also like to send their partner jinqi banners as birthday presents with humorous words, making intimate jokes about their boyfriend or girlfriend's devotion to the relationship.

(CHINA DAILY)