There are many different opinions as to what Koi Fish Tattoos symbolize in tattoo art, many feel that there is a sexual symbolism to the styles and colours of Koi, some feel that the direction which a Koi swims in the tattoo symbolizes sexual orientation whereas others believe that the Koi is an expression of perseverance and achievement.

By far the strongest and most popular interpretation is that of aspiration, determination, achievement, ambition and perseverance in a journey to ones goal in life. This is continually reinforced by the tale of Dragon Gate and the arduous journey to be at one with ones destiny, perhaps the most recalled version of the meaning of the Koi Fish Tattoo. Any research will return a fairly constant result with regards to the meaning of this popular tattoo art form so in effect this almost pre conditions our opinion on the subject.

The Kois symbolism of sexualty in Tattoo art is not widely understood or believed, there are groups of people who try to reinforce the belief that the direction that the Koi swims along the body symbolizes ones sexual orientation, heterosexual or gay? This adoption of the belief is not so widespread as the perseverance interpretation.

In other cultures the Koi represents wealth, although this is not essentially within the tattoo community, the Kois symbolism of wealth is represented in the charm market, charms of Golden Koi represent wealth and good fortune, but this hasn’t been replicated in the tattoo world.

Other belief states suggest that the Koi is a symbol of uncompromising bravery, used in direct comparison to a Samurai warrior, the Koi is said after being landed by the fisherman, to lay rigid on the slab embracing its fate with the knife, this si the absolute symbol of the Samurai…accepting his fate in life or death in an honourable fashion. The Koi Fish is known to be the only creature that directly reflects the stoic heroism and strength of a Samurai.

Many other associations with the Koi are made directly with Yakuza members. The Yakuza are the feared gangs of Japanese organised crime who adopt a certain style of tattoo amongst their ‘gangs’ and cultures. The Yakuza have no direct association purely with Koi, although this doesn’t mean that they do not represent themselves in this art form. In the main, the Yakuza style of tattoo is reflected in modern day art forms using the stronger and more dangerous symbols such as the tiger or the snake, these are far more prominent in the Yakuza tattoo art forms. In fact more prominient is the style of the Japanese warrior in the act of slaying Japanese mythical beasts, this style is very popular and far more prominent than that of the koi fish art.

The greatest weight of evidence with regards to the Koi in tattoo art forms leans towards the perseverance, strength, endurance and struggle in achieving ones goal in life, this is the most popular reason for acquiring this ink style.

In essence there is no direct association with Koi Fish Tattoos and no right or wrong. The decision to have a Koi fish tattoo is purely based on an individuals desires and preferences, after carrying out independent and exhaustive research into the tattoo styles one will end up even more confused than when they started out. The choice is yours, the colour, the style the length and position are purely a matter of your own interpretation of the symbol.

Dragon Gate is a place that sits at the top of Yellow River, it is the source of mystical forces and draws the Koi into it’s magnetic current. The Koi swims against the current and jumps out of the rapid waters to gain distance against the strong currents of Yellow River…it’s sole ambition is to reach Dragons Gate to become a Dragon.

A symbol of perseverance, strength and determination, the Koi is revered by many tribes and cultures in todays societies. Not least is the Tattoo community where the Koi is chosen as a permanent mark upon the body to signify the subjects strength and perseverance in life, an hommage to a struggle throughout a journey to reach ones ultimate goal.

So compelling were the tales that the princess created that the Koi became totally devoted to her, agreeing between them all, to ensure that her childhood dreams would reach fruition when she became older. As the Koi grew stronger and wiser they heard of the mystical powers of Dragon Gate and dreamed of one day making the journey along Yellow River to become Dragons in their quest to protect the Empire. The Koi elders would tell tales of the dangerous journey along Yellow River and the tremendous strength that Koi would need to endure the climb to Dragon Gate swimming against the strongest of known currents and jumping the most powerful of any known waterfall.

The nine Warrior Koi Fish began their hard rigorous training without delay so that they may one day make the journey to Dragon Gate.

The nine warrior Koi listened intently to the elders’ tales, their emotions were a mixture of fear and excitement, the passion for their collective ambition drove them to one day, make the journey to Dragons Gate. The names of the nine Koi were Akihito, Naruhito, Noryuki, Jakehiro, Michiko, Eko, Etsuko, Juri and Ikumi and they were 5 girls and 4 boys, equal in strength, determination and intelligence but very different in character. Each koi had its own distinctive marking which allowed the Princess to give them each a name.

Akihito, was a male Koi and probably the most dominant of the warriors
Naruhito, was a male Koi very sympathetic in nature but strong minded nonetheless
Noryuki, was a male Koi, the wildest of the bunch
Jakehiro, was a male Koi, the maverick
Michiko, was a female Koi, very wise with great leadership instinct
Eko, was a female Koi, independent in every way even with an injured tail fin
Etsuko, also a female Koi, the youngest and most energetic of the warriors
Juri, a female Koi and the oldest warrior, the great councillor
Ikumi, probably the prettiest of the Koi, beware this warriors beauty !

return frequently to read more about the 9 Warrior Koi and the journey to Dragon Gate!

As a young Koi, Akihito was clearly going to be a leader in life, he was very confident and strong and he bore the markings of a true warrior. Fellow Koi would always seek him to be in his company, it was always good to be seen to be with Akihito. There are many tales in existence recalling the adventures of Akihito but none of them as famous as the day he discovered the Princess in distress whilst swimming in the palace lakes at a very young age.

As Akihito raced along the white waters of the adjoining rivers with his fellow Koi, he sensed an unusual movement in the water, a kind of vibration that he had never fealt before, it was a ripple carried by a warm summer breeze along the surface of the river…within the breeze was a feeling of anguish, Akihito was alert and swam into action.

As he approached the imperial lakes he sensed the vibration and anguish heightening to a frenzy, Akihito swam like never before using all of his might to reach the source of the vibration. His frantic journey took him to the shores of the palace lakes, an area where Koi were told never to go, the waters around the lakes were patrolled by guards who were instructed to ward off any unfamiliar fish by the Emperor, it was known to be a dangerous place to venture by all Koi.

Within minutes of first sensing the ripple, Akihito arrived at the source of the skirmish…it was a little girl and she had fallen into the lake. Not able to swim at such a young age the Princess was forbidden to venture near the banks of the waters surrounding the Palace, but it was clear that in her determination to have adventure in her young life, that she had befallen danger and entered into the deepest of the lakes to the North of the Palace.

Akihito, the strongest of the young Koi fish, swam to the aide of the young Princess, flipping her onto his back she clung to him for her dear life until he reached the shore of the Northern Lake, as he approached he sensed more danger as the guards and the Emperor were running to find where the Princess had ventured to. As they approached they saw the most magical sight, the Princess was riding on a large Koi fish, she was distressed but safe.

From that day on, the Emperor opened up the grounds and lakes to the Koi fish, a decision which brought great reverence to Akihito, he was now known as the brave warrior Koi…the once forbidden areas of the Palace Lakes were now their home waters, they had the pardon of the Empire to swim freely within.

These events changed the lives of the Koi fish and the Princess and also brought colour and richness to the Palace Lakes like there had never been before, the waters were abundant with all manner of Koi who filled the once lifeless lakes with a rainbow of colour.

The months that followed the great exodus to the imperial lakes, the Koi population grew stronger. The Princess swam confidently at Akihitos side and the Emperor took great comfort in her new friends in the lake keeping her from harm.

Akihito and the Princess became very close and he was honoured with the title of the Water Guardian to the Princess, this meant that whenever she was in the lake he was ultimately responsible for her safety. Akihito took great pride in his responsibility and the fellow Koi respected his position in their world.

As with any Guardian, there must be a second in command, this honour was bestowed upon Naruhito, Akihitos life long and closest friend. Naruhito was a very patient and sympathetic Koi, he was known to be the negotiator …whenever Akihito was challenged by rogue fish, Naruhito was always there to use reason rather than strength to resolve the challenge.

The friendship began when they were very young Koi, as usual Akihito was going about his daily routines collecting food for his Mother from the only remaining source on the river, when he was faced with an aggressive river snake looking to take the scraps of food from the young unsuspecting Koi. No match against the large poisonous snake, Akihito stood strong and awaited the ensuing battle with the venomous river snake to protect his family and their source of food. It was clear that the snake was prepared to fight and had settled into the area because of the abundance of food.

What was Akihiro to do? He could fight the strongest of Koi it was true, but a river snake could wrap itself around the young Koi and take squeeze the life from his gills in an instant!

As Akihiro contemplated his fate, he heard approaching Koi, the sound of a male and a female to the feeding ground, his gaze was on the snake and as much as he wanted to shout to warn off the approaching innocents he could not alert the snake to his presence.

The voices became louder as they approached, the snake hung from a tree above the feeding ground watching out for the unsuspecting prey. Suddenly a voice came from the tree top above the snake, ‘is this a branch or part of your slimy tail?’, the snake raised his long neck to see what it was that was interrupting his afternoon snack, but there was nothing to see… ‘up here, you fool!’ the voice bellowed, the snake was angry at the impudence coming from the tree top and started winding its way to the top…’No..here!’ came another voice…’Over here!’ came another, it appeared that there were voices coming from everywhere in the tree, but nothing could be seen.

Akihiro looked on in disbelief as the snake wound itself around the tree, trying to find out the impudent tree dweller who was yelling insults at him from the let and then from the right, above and below…spiralling into a frenzied route through the trees, the snake eventually tied himself into a knot so tight that he could not release himself, the more he struggled the tighter it became!

Once the snake was imprisoned by his own curling body in the tree, the source of the voices became more of a mystery to Akihito,

‘hey you, the large Silver Koi, what are you doing just floating there?, come over here!’…
’over where?’ said a rather relieved Akihito now that the danger of the snake was over
‘We are at the bank of the river, down here!’ was the reply

Akihiro looked towards where the voice was coming from and he saw eight Koi heads just above the waterline, ‘how did you get up into the tree’ asked Akihiro?

‘A simple trick my silver friend you see, the roots of the tree are hollow, when we saw that you were in the sight of the river snake my Koi friends and I shouted into the roots, which carried our voices into the tops of the tree, the snake was curious by nature and had to slide to the top to find out where the voices were coming from, by shouting into the eight hollow roots we were able to tie the snake up into a knot…sometimes brain is better than bravery my silver friend!’

‘My name is Naruhito and these are my 7 fellow Koi, Noryuki, Jakehiro, Michiko, Eko, Etsuko, Juri and Ikumi…would you like to travel back to the lakes with us today?’

And so the long loyal friendship was born between Akihito, Naruhito and his seven Koi Fish friends.

‘The waters surrounding the Palace are forbidden to Koi’ said Etsuko ‘the elders tell tales of Koi who have strayed into the Imperial Lakes and have never been seen again…they are known as the phantom Koi, it is said that they are banished to patrol the skies around the Palace for eternity, informing the guards of any approaching Koi! This is there penance for entering the forbidden waters!’
‘Rubbish’ snapped Eko ‘the elders tell you these tales just to make sure that you do not stray too far from their sight, these are just nonsense stories to keep you close by’

‘Maybe so young one’ replied Juri, the oldest of the fellow Koi Fish ‘but therein lies a truth that should not be sneered at, be aware of the guardian Koi at the Imperial palace, it is a well known phenomena that the skies are protected by Dragon who were once Koi! These are no phantom Koi, they are as real as tomorrows sun rays and moon light, an honour bestowed upon them for their long journey to Dragon Gate’
‘What is this Dragon Gate Juri? And where can it be found?’ quizzed Akihito ‘I have also heard of this tale of the Koi’s journey along the rivers and streams to the mystical waterfall, but it is only a story…isn’t it?’
‘Believe what you will Akihito, I only know that the elders who tell this tale have only failed in their journey to Dragon Gate and returned to these waters to tell their stories before they die.’
‘and, of this journey, do they have maps of the waters? Can they remember the journey with such detail that they can recall the routes that they once took?.’ Naruhitos imagination was also alight with adventure…
‘You wish to take this journey one day Naruhito?’ Akihito asked his second in command who was by now in a frenzy of excitement over the thought of such a great adventure…’perhaps we should visit the elders and enquire further into this tale to satisfy your foolish taste for adventure’
‘I agree’ replied Naruhito ‘we should go now’
As Naruhito turned to make his way to the elders ponds, Akihito sensed danger in the water, a kind of vibration that he had never felt before, his Koi Warrior instinct became stronger and stronger, the energy was coming from the direction of the forbidden Imperial Lakes. Akihitos instinct spurred him into action, the courageous Warrior had gone in a flash…to the Imperial Palace Lakes’…

this story is foretold in Akihitos Tale which is told in chapter one, and was the beginning of the wondrous journey that Akihito made which brought good fortune to all Koi fish and dispelled the myth surrounding the forbidden Imperial Lakes, Akihitos heroic and courageous rescue of the Princess paved the way to a magical bond between Koi and Mankind from that day forward…

After the dramatic rescue of the Princess and the fuss and ceremony that surrounded Akihito afterwards, the desire for Adventure was tempered somewhat, the Koi Fish had a new life and this was adventure enough. All thoughts of Dragon Gate disappeared from the minds of the Koi as their new Imperial friend became a curiosity, that is until one day when the friends were together in the Imperial lakes.

Princess Yazuri was only a very young girl when she encountered the Koi in the lake, the reason that she had ventured into the lakes was due to her being bored with her very short and young imperial life, at the age of six she should have known better than to have put her self in danger, there was a presence of mischief about her which was probably at the root of her finding such trouble that fateful day.

It was by pure misfortune that the Koi had met Princess Yazuri and pure fortune that the incident had turned everybodies life around for the better, the Koi were protected by imperial law and in return the Princess was now protected by the nine Koi fish.

‘I am so lucky to have you all’ said Yazuri in an outburst of happiness, splashing her arms against the surface of the lake ‘what would I do without you, I ask myself? Life would be so dull, the Palace is dull, Imperial life is dull…’ her words came as a great shock to the Koi.

‘but surely…highness, it is an honour to be bestowed with such responsibility for your people and your land…to have so many look to you for guidance, is this not your ambition in life, to be dutiful to your empire?’ said Juri, the oldest of the Koi circle,

‘an honour yes!’ replied Yazuri ‘But I am too young for ceremony, I would like to enjoy life a little before things become too serious. I want to explore the lands surrounding the Empire and beyond, I have only seen what there is within the palace grounds…you Koi must have enjoyed many adventures in your lives with so much more to look forward to, it is so funny isn’t it? I want to get out and you want to come in, I guess that this is life?’

The Princess was surely very mature in her thoughts for only a little girl, her mind was full of wanting for adventure…
‘adventure is so dangerous’ exclaimed Naruhito ‘ we would all like to think that life holds so much more in store for us but typically that is not always the case, what is important is that the empire is in safe hands and that you are always safe and protected from danger’

‘that is boring Naruhito!’ snapped Yazuri ‘you cannot tell me that you have no desire in life to achieve more than just floating around a big Imperial pond! What kind of fulfilment is that? You must have had the urge for adventure at some point in your life…no?’

At this point Naruhito remembered the day of the rescue and realised the flame of passion that he had for the tale of Dragon Gate that Juri and Akihito were discussing prior to finding the Princess in distress.

‘Yes…you are right! Cried Naruhito ‘Dragon Gate, this is my destiny, this is where my ambition in life lies…we were supposed to be going to the elders ponds that day, to ask them about the Yellow River and the adventures through the rapids and falls…Yazuri, you are a genius and you must come with us!’

‘I am forbidden to travel outside of the Imperial grounds my dear Koi friends, but if you have a desire then you must follow your instinct until the flame of your passion either rises or falls…chase the Dragon Gate Naruhito’

‘We will all go with you Naruhito, we are one, so we make the journey to the elders ponds together.’
The nine warrior Koi fish left the Princess behind the following day to seek out the elders in the ponds on the border of the Imperial grounds.

As the nine Koi Fish approached the elders ponds their hearts were full of fear and excitement, no-one had approached the elders to discuss such things directly and they were known to be impatient with the younger Koi, especially when being pressed for tales, the elders would rather open up and tell the stories on their own terms rather than on request.

Naruhito was the driving force behind the search for Dragon Gate, so he naturally led the fellow Koi to the area of the ponds where the elders gathered.

The day was very grey and there was a wind howling through the reeds that lined the banks…it was as if there was a storm approaching, the weather reflected the mood of the elders it seemed…

The young and wary Koi swam the perimeter of the ponds searching for the elders but they were nowhere to be seen,

‘They must be here somewhere!’ quizzed Noryuki ‘we haven’t come all this way to scour the weed and rocks for nothing, Juri, you must know where the elders rest, you got us in to this with your stories of the elders so I hold you responsible for our wasted time here!

‘Be patient Noryuki, the elders will find you, they do not rest in one place they move around so that they cannot easily be found…they are much wiser than you, this is how they have survived to become the elders!’ replied Akihito with an air of disgust in his voice.

‘Feel that?’ cried Jakehiro ‘there is an earthquake! I can sense it across the surface of the pond, this is not good, I feel danger!’
‘That is no earthquake my friend, take a look over there!’

As Akihito gazed across the pond to where the ripple had appeared to have started, his eight Koi friends followed the direction of his sharp eyes…and there it was, a strong wake carving through the choppy surface of the pond towards them, it was as if a large knife were cutting through the water in their general direction. The rain started to fall heavily as the 9 Koi heads looked on at the approaching wake…

‘What is this?’ quivered Ikumi ‘I am afraid, are we to die here in this lonely grey old pond, nobody knows where we are and who will protect Yazuri??’

‘Calm down Ikumi’ Akihito retorted with confidence in his tone ‘this is not our end pretty one, this is our destiny, the start of our adventure, the wake that you see is Li Bai, the chief of the elders he has seen us and he is now approaching us…fear not, this is the reason we are here is it not?’
‘Soo many young fools in my pond, are you not aware of the dangers here?’ bellowed Li Bai ‘return to whence you came and do not enter these sacred waters again, do you hear me?’

‘we are here to seek council with the great Li Bai, just a short moment of your time will remove the need to return to your waters old wise one!’ stated Akihito firmly.

‘and who are you to address me in such a familiar manner, young foolish silver Koi?

‘I am Akihito, honourable one, I only request a moment of your time to satisfy my friends curiosity, then we are on our way, otherwise I am afraid that he will return again and again until he meets his end or satisfies his foolish curiosity.

‘Akihito eh? I have heard that name only recently, are you the Akihito that dared to enter the Imperial lakes and rescue the young Princess?’

‘yes oh wise one, that is I, a foolish act which I do not regret, the Imperial pardon has opened up the friendship between Koi and Man, a two way benefit I feel that now offers Imperial protection to our kind!’

‘not so fast young warrior, I do not judge you, I salute you. What you did was foolish and brave, but most of all it was your destiny, I am honoured to be in your presence’

With that, Li Bai, bowed his head beneath the water, a gesture that young Koi would normally never expect from an elder, let alone Li Bai chief of the elders.

‘now, what of your friends curiosity? Am I correct in my assumption that he would like to hear the tales of Dragon Gate? After all what would a young Koi want to know from an old soldier like me, the only tales that I have are those of the Yellow River..’

‘your foresight is very keen oh wise one, this is our precise reason for trespassing the sacred waters, would you tolerate a moment with these foolish Koi to recall only a part of your tale?’

‘follow me’ sighed Li Bai ‘we should take shelter below the willow over there, we can then settle to my recollections’
What joy, the Chief of the elders was prepared to give council to the 9 warrior Koi, they would now learn more about Dragon Gate and hopefully take details of the perilous route along which so many Koi have travelled to their end or their second life.

Li Bais Tale

My journey began some 60 years ago when, just like you young Koi Fish, my friends and I had the urge for adventure in our lives. There were 5 of us in total and we were led by Li Chan, who was by far the most courageous of our Koi group. At your age, it is said that there is a yearning to find more, a search for ones destiny, it is almost part of every Kois’ growing up to feel these urges, for some the urge is greater than others and it is this energy that drives the group.

The energy within our group came from Li Chan, he never stopped talking about ‘the journey’ and ‘Dragon Gate’, we were only young and we didn’t pay too much attention to him, I guess that this is a little like you Naruhito, it is your energy that is driving the groups quest for more.
We didn’t know of anyone who had made the journey through the sacred waters so we couldn’t ask anybody for advice, direction or truth in the tale, it was purely instinctual from Li Chan. What is clear is that he was drawn from within to achieve something greater in life and this energy acted like a compass for the journey that we made.

When I say that it was instinctual, I mean that Li Chan was so convinced of the epic journey that nothing else mattered in life, it was his destiny and possibly his fate.

Li Chans energy took us to the foot of the great Jade Dragon River, commonly known today as the Yulong River near the city of Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang region, the mountainous route along the river is said to be of the most heavenly scenery on earth, with tall green mountains reaching for the sky in the shape of dragons teeth and within them caverns so deep that the mountains almost appear to start again under the water, the route is truly perilous!

My journey took a total of 5 days, starting from the very spot that we are swim in today, Li Chan led the path along the great Yulong River. Our route took us through some of the most treacherous water scapes that I have ever encountered, the deepest and widest underwater caverns, the fastest rapid waters and the angriest of all river currents were all energised by the melting springtime snows in the mountains. Cherry blossom swirled in the whirlpools as the winds tore them from the trees along the river banks, only to be outnumbered by the stream of Koi that took the same journey.

An amazing sight has never been witnessed since, the river rapids were choked with hundreds upon hundreds of Koi fish racing along the river.
By far, the hardest part of the journey was on our approach to the falls, the spring thaw caused a torrent of water to flow from the mountain tops and down the waterfalls, sending a frantic current against the path of the Koi. The final hurdle was more arduous and challenging as the rains began to fall harder and harder, the resulting currents were of a force that we had never experienced before.
Regardless of these extremes, we fought the ensuing waters falling from the mountain tops through the falls and endured the journey to the pool at the foot of the Dragon Gate falls.

When I arrived at the pool there were many hundreds of Koi circulating wildly in a whirlpool. I had lost contact with my fellow Koi fish long ago during the journey and I never caught sight of them again. At this point it did not matter or even enter into my thoughts, I was fixated, along with my fellow several hundred Koi, on the leap up the great water fall to our collective destinies.
By this time, the rains showed no sign of slowing down and they made the whirlpool flow even faster in its circular motion. Lightening began to light up the mountain tops as though it was daylight for a split second! Then a gargantuan crash of thunder accompanied the flash followed by another and another.

Akihito and his eight young friends were fixated at Li Bais recollection of the journey, clinging to his every word with wide eyes not daring to blink!

As the lightning struck the mountain tops, the Koi began to leap from the water creating a frenzy in the pool with their fins and tails…as the frenzy heightened I saw two Koi begin the climb, a powerful leap and then a spring off the stone walls of the mountain side to elevate themselves further up the torrential flow. It seemed that the Koi were fighting a huge battle with all of their might, against all odds, but succeeding nonetheless.

The two Koi were followed by a further ten, then another twenty, thirty…up they climbed out of sight, the pool gradually began to empty until my time came, I leaped with all my might and it was if I were carried upwards by the upwards flow of Koi against the flow of the waterfall. It was a kind of energy that carried me, like Chi carrying the whole body of Koi along their path, we say this is the Koi Chi, we each possess the force throughout our lives although it only becomes heightened when in a large group, I have only experienced this energy once in my life and never since.

I recall that there were seventy one Koi fish ahead of me, why I know this number? I don’t know? But I counted seventy one in all of this frenzy, these seventy one jumped ahead of the group and then the leap stopped, the Chi like energy began to slow down and the pond became calm. With this calming I fell back down the water fall into the pond, plunging into the depths.

As I surfaced I looked around at the hundreds of Koi, they were still, motionless, staring at the top of the fall where the seventy one had gone before them. The clouds began to clear and we looked upwards to the source of the fall, right at the top we could see just one of the seventy one reaching Dragons Gate, then it happened…

An amazing sight before us…the single lone Koi, broke free from the 70 leapers, it was as if this Koi was elevated to the summit by all of our collective energies. Then the skies roared and released a blinding flash which burst down from the clouds, a lightening stream from the heavens like a the spear of a fisherman, pierced the Koi between the eyes! When the lightening faded, the Koi had been set free from his fish form and had begun to take the form of a mighty dragon, first the head and thereafter his body a very proud and beautiful sight to behold!

The Koi Dragon floated into the air and then, like a maple leaf, he began to fall towards the pool. As the koi fell toward me I felt a sense of familiarity, peering through the falling water I could see the Koi Dragon approaching the pond as if it were lifeless, as it approached I saw familiar markings to the head of the newly formed Dragon. Then I realised it was Li Chan, my most courageous friend whom I set out upon this journey with, he had made it to Dragon Gate and made the majestical transformation…it was a truly amazing sight! He fell towards me, springing into life and taking flight with his new Dragon wings just moments before his body touched the pool, which by now was full of Koi Fish gazing up in wonderment at the sight before them.

I returned back to these ponds two days later to join my family once again, with a kind of fulfilment inside me, knowing that Li Chan had reached his destiny.

Since that day I have witnessed his passing through the skies and around the Imperial Gardens, some say the spectre is only a shooting star but
I know that Li Chan is watching the skies around the Imperial Palace, offering protection to the people of China.

I sense the same drive and desire in this group of Koi as we had 60 years ago before we set off along our journey, the energy is very strong in you all and each of you plays an important and meaningful role in the end game, you may not reach Dragon Gate after making the arduous journey but your Chi is essential in the overall effort with your fellow Koi, some may not make the journey at all, some may die on route but this is life…a magical journey upon which we depend upon others throughout our travels to achieve our goals. The Kois story is one of reward and achievement through perseverance and endurance…above all enjoy life and make your choices and decisions wisely!