It is crucial to understand that 图腾 is a phonetic transliteration. The characters were chosen because their sounds, “tú” and “téng,” approximate the English word “totem.” The individual meanings of “picture” and “soar” do not combine to create the meaning; the word's definition is imported entirely.
In China, the concept of the totem is deeply connected to the nation's mythological origins. Ancient tribes and clans in China often identified with a specific animal or natural phenomenon as their ancestor and protector. The most prominent example is the Chinese Dragon (龙, lóng). The dragon is widely considered the totem of the Chinese nation (中华民族的图腾 - Zhōnghuá mínzú de tú téng). The myth is that the legendary Yellow Emperor united various tribes, each with its own animal totem (e.g., snake, fish, eagle). He combined features from each totem to create the dragon, a composite beast symbolizing the unity and strength of the newly formed Chinese people.
While its primary meaning is anthropological, 图腾 is used flexibly in modern contexts.