Turtles hold a high status in China’s traditional culture. The turtle is the only real animal among the “Four Auspicious Beasts” (i.e., Kirin, Phoenix, Turtle, and Dragon) and has the image of heaven, earth, and man: the shape of a turtle’s carapace is like the "celestial dome," and the lines on it look like "astrological symbols." The shape of its plastron resembles the "square earth," the lines on it are like the "Nine States" (the whole of ancient China), and its four limbs are like the four pillars supporting the “heavenly firmament” (comprised of a spherical sky and flat earth in ancient Chinese astrological tradition). It is written in the Huainanzi Lan Ming Xun: "Nüwa (Chinese mother goodness) smelted the five-colored stones to mend the firmament, cutting off the feet of the great turtle to support the four pillars of the universe." Ancient Chinese people integrated the turtle's appearance and its characteristics with their own worldview and cosmology, making it a divine creature that brings together heaven, earth, and man. It was also regarded as a deity that connects heaven and earth, foretells life and death, and brings blessings and peace. The turtle, a holy creature worshiped since ancient times, is born divine.

    The image on the homepage takes inspiration from this myth, with a turtle carapace representing the heavens and the plastron adorned with vague oracle inscriptions as the earth. In the centre, there is a close-up of the heads and necks of some of the chelonian species that our research group has studied. This gathering of chelonian heads reflects the purpose and determination of our center to protect chelonians, which have important cultural, scientific, and ecological value.