Semantics and symbolics of the image of tiger in folk tales of the provinces of the People's Republic of China

The article deals with the specific features of the plots of the Chinese folk tales, associated with the image of the tiger: etiology, motive of transformation, marriage of man and tiger. The author analyzes the semantics and symbolics of the tiger as a fairy-tale character, emphasizing the origin of the tiger’s image - zoomorphic and anthropomorphic. There is concluded that in the culture of the People’s Republic of Chine the tiger is considered as a prosperous animal - the symbol of power, the ethereal messenger, the richness of the tiger is interpreted as the metaphor of the man’s virtue.