In China, the tiger is the king of the animals and a natural enemy to demons. Together with the dragon, the Phoenix bird and the turtle, they are considered intelligent animals and have been portrayed as guardians for at least 2500 years. In the royal tombs of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.), the white tiger is depicted as the Western Heavenly God, a tradition that would also extend to Korea and Japan.
In China, the tradition of giving a cloth tiger to children is kept alive as a gift for good luck and protection. Parents express their good wishes with these cloth dolls and children use it as a toy.