It’s also a symbol of success, happiness and celebration. Chinese Symbol 10: RedĪs one of the five colours which represent the five elements-of which it represents fire-red is an important colour in Chinese culture. Pomegranates were also also used in Buddhist religious ceremonies, being regarded as a good luck charm. Popular in mythology and religion, the fruit is equally an important symbol of Chinese culture symbolising fertility and many offspring. Pomegranates are a universal symbol of prosperity, fertility and abundance. A pair of fish represents happiness in marriage and is related to fertility due to the reproductive success of fish. A leaping carp symbolises overcoming a difficult challenge, in reference to the legend that a carp which can leap over the mythical Dragon’s Gate will transform into a dragon. It was also a common motif of the Art Nouveau period.Ī common symbol in Japanese decorative arts, fish (yu 鱼) symbolise wealth as its Chinese word sounds similar to ‘abundance and affluence’. (Four ginkgo trees also miraculously survived the Hiroshima atomic blast.) Because of its resilience, it represents longevity and enlightenment. Although it originally grew throughout the northern hemisphere, only a few in China survived the last ice age. It is described by dendrologists as a living fossil on account of it being a remnant of the dinosaur period and is the only species of its division, with no living relatives. The Ginkgo tree is a native of China and considered a sacred tree. One of its abilities is that of summoning rain to dry land which suggests prosperity. Whilst a dangerous symbol in many other traditions, the Chinese dragon is good-natured and is the most auspicious of all. Very much a sacred imperial symbol, it represents the Emperor (just as the phoenix represents the Empress). The dragon is the most powerful symbol in Chinese culture with supernatural powers and the ability to control cosmic forces. Peacocks, with their showy feather tails, signify beauty and dignity.

Its Chinese word is similar to the word for ‘harmony’ so a pair of cranes symbolises a harmonious marriage. They are referred to as the ‘coursers of the Gods’ and flying cranes symbolise a hope for a promotion. It is the Chinese symbol of the Empress and, when shown with the dragon (the Emperor), connotes a perfect marriage.ĭue to its long life, the crane (he 鹤) symbolises longevity. (The phoenix represents birds, the dragon represents scaled creatures, the unicorn represents animals and the tortoise represents shelled creatures.) In decorative arts, phoenixes symbolise good fortune and opportunity. This mythical bird is described as the ‘king of the birds’ and represents all winged animals in the Four Benevolent Animals classification system. There are many important birds in Chinese symbology-the most important of which is the phoenix (feng 凤). Comprised of water, fire, wood, metal and earth, the wu xing (as they are collectively described) is a most basic organisational principle of Chinese thought and informs many other principles such as the Five Blessings, Five Classics or the Five Metals. The number five (wu 五) is always considered auspicious in Chinese culture, particularly because of its association with the five complementary world elements. Along with the plum (winter), the chrysanthemum (autumn) and the bamboo (summer), the orchid (spring) is considered one of the Four Plants of Virtue. It is recorded that, when he came across orchids in a wood, he compared their giving off of their fragrant aroma despite no one being around to appreciate it to a man who maintains his noble character in spite of poverty. In his study “ Symbolism in Chinese Porcelain“, Fong Chow-onetime assistant curator of Far Eastern Art at the Metropolitan Museum in New York-revealed, “Flowers, the most universal of symbols, are found in profusion in Chinese art.” Confucius considered the orchid a noble plant. “Symbolic meaning has played a significant role in the lives of the Chinese,” a document on Chinese symbols, produced by The British Museum explains, “The nature of their written and spoken language has contributed to the rich vocabulary of symbolism.”īring some good fortune to your home this year with these life-improving Chinese symbols. Rich in symbolism and with a penchant for beauty, the decorative arts of China have intrigued scholars and enthusiasts for millennia.

Serenity symbol chinese