On occasions it is considered the flower of Spring and competes with the lotus; chrysanthemum and plum for supremacy; together with the peony all four represent the whole year. The love for chrysanthemums spread to Japan, and the Emperor of Japan's throne is known as the Chrysanthemum Throne ➚. Here is a survey of flowers and fruit that are noted for their Chinese art symbolism: Older varieties of apple prefer a cooler, moister climate than is generally available in China, so apples used to be imported from Korea and Japan making them an exotic luxury. It is also a good luck talisman by gamblers. Great post! Pears are a long lived fruit tree, as they can survive for 350 years, and so they symbolize a wish for a long life. Welcome to the fun! apple blossom - beauty After the flowers comes the fruit. They are often planted near burial grounds, and so have a similar association to that of yew trees ➚ in Europe. Lan is a popular girl's name. Azalea stamens can be collected and used as a mild narcotic. A persimmon with a pine tree and an orange wishes good luck in ‘a hundred business matters’ (百事吉利 bǎi shì jí lì). In short, sort of! When depicted with the plum which flowers in Spring it denotes a wish for never ending fragrance- a long honorable life. Please check your email to confirm your subscription. Apricots represent the second month of the traditional calendar as that is when they are in flower. There are many other associations: one of the eight immortals He Xiangu holds a lotus flower; as well as one of the Heavenly twin (He-he) boys; a lotus with a goldfish symbolizes the wish for an abundance of gold; with a duck a wish for happiness; with a heron a desire for progression... the list is almost endless. The peach of immortality in Chinese mythology (蟠桃; pántáo) can make people perpetually young. A birthday greeting can sometimes be represented as a peach tree on a mountain with bat and waves to give the greeting 福如东海寿比南山 Fú rú dōng hǎi shòu bǐ nán shān 'may your good fortune be as deep as the Eastern Sea and you live as long as the Southern Mountain'. Because mandarins are easily crossed with other varieties of citrus and can grow in a number of climates, many varieties of mandarins have been created…around 200! It can withstand frost and so exemplifies stoicism in the face of disappointment in life. The basket symbolizes riches and is popular as a wish for good luck at the Spring Festival. Each month is associated with a flower but the list varies from place to place. The large, tough fruit of the plant ‘Lagenaria siceraria’, when dried and hollowed out makes a water-tight container. It is also widely known by the character 李 lǐ which is made up of two elements ‘wood’ and ‘child’ suggesting the prolific fruits produced by the tree. Choose fruits that are heavy for their size and unblemished. The similar sounding 堂 táng means ‘hall’, so a picture of apple blossom can represent the home in a painting. There are many varieties of chrysanthemum in a great range of colors and flower shapes. It is considered one of the flowers in the garden of the Queen Mother of the West and from that longevity. It symbolizes longevity, solitude and steadfastness; as the needles grow in pairs it is also a symbol of married bliss. For a long while it was the custom of women to wear a garland of flowers in their hair although white and blue flowers are unlucky and avoided. A magpie 喜鹊 xǐ què in a wutong tree symbolizes ‘joy together’ 禧同 xǐtóng. Success! It sounds similar to 居 jū ‘to reside, to endure’ and久 jiǔ ‘long time’. The welcome blossoms of plum trees in late winter has made the plum tree a popular plant. The grace and beauty are associated with foot binding as an Emperor extolled the virtue of the tiny feet in terms of ‘wherever she steps a lily flowers’ and so bound feet became termed ‘golden lilies’. Its importance can be judged by the fact that the ninth month in the traditional calendar is named the ‘chrysanthemum month’. Not so much in China, despite the fact that many species of rose planted in Europe and America originate from China. Because it is such an quintessential motif in China, some painters have dedicated their lives to painting nothing except bamboo. There are very many different types of wild orchid in China which are highly prized. Mulberry trees are very widely planted in China because they are the food plant of the silkworm. The character for flower 花 huā has an interesting origin. However unlike most other fruits the pear has a unfortunate homophone as 离 lí means ‘separate; divide’ so it should never be given as a present to a couple. It is rarely eaten in China, but instead hung up to give a fresh, citrus fragrance to a room. Well you’ll have an instant does of vitamin C! It is widely prescribed in traditional medicine, and this has proven efficacy as willow bark is a source of salicylic acid - aspirin. 1st: plum; 2nd: apricot; 3rd: tree peony; 4th: cherry blossom; 5th: magnolia; 6th: pomegranate; 7th:lotus; 8th:pear or quince; 9th:cassia or mallow; 10th:chrysanthemum; 11th:gardenia; 12th: poppy. Thought to have originated in India, they travelled across China where they picked up the name “mandarin”. Birds, Animals, Colors, Flowers & fruit, General Nature and Assorted / miscellaneous. In a picture large 瓜 guā and small gourds 瓞 dié together with 蔓 màn ‘creeper’ (sounding like 万 wàn ‘numerous’) represent a wish for many descendents 瓜瓞绵绵 as the gourds contain many seeds. peach tree - longevity From the late 19th century onwards onions have come to symbolize cleverness as 葱 cōng sounds the same as 聪 cōng 'clever, sharp witted, wise'. The pomegranate fruit is brim full of seeds, and as seed in Chinese 子 zǐ also means children, it chiefly symbolizes a wish for many children. The bamboo stem (culm) is hollow and its leaves droop so it represents modesty: (虚 xū means both modest and hollow). Smug, Plant melons and you will harvest melons; plant beans and you will harvest beans, Live with the consequences of your actions, “I found this a really clear explanation of Classical Chinese poetry. Flowers have long been associated with girls and young women, and a picture of a flower may represent one. Refrigerated in a bag they should last 2 weeks to 1 month. Irises are also called 百合 bǎi hé and are considered good for keeping evil at bay particularly at the Dragon boat festival where they were used to decorate doorways. Read more, Your email address will not be published. A picture of a chrysanthemum with nine quails symbolizes a wish for nine generations to live in peace in the home 九世同居 jiǔ shì tóng jū. Sometimes an apricot is painted together with Imperial women to express the wish for fortitude in sorrows. Unfortunately garbage disposals aren’t so common here in Europe. The pine tree is one of the three friends of winter - together with plums and bamboo because it is evergreen and does not drop its needles. How do I know manderine is spoil and to throw out? The best known variety of Chinese cabbage is called by its Cantonese name of Bok Choy ➚ with white stems and dark green leaves there is also Napa cabbage which is 'White Cabbage' 白菜 bái cài just to confuse matters. It is a favorite subject in Chinese landscape paintings. Love oranges, especially clementines! Strange, I haven’t seen this before! This is because 蔓 màn sounds a bit like 万 wàn ‘10,000; myriad; forever’. Together with a persimmon 柿 shì an apple wishes success in business affairs (事 shì). The symbolism of flowers in Chinese art is very rich, so each flower has its own entry in this survey of symbols. It is often shown with a crane, another symbol of longevity; with a ruyi is is a wish for a peaceful, long life. Feel free to email me at [email protected] to discuss licensing. With a crane a pine tree gives the wish for a peaceful and long life. Grapes and grapevines are a common motif on Ming dynasty porcelain. In symbolism a pomegranate may represent a wish for a title to be continued into the next generation as 世 shì means ‘generation; noble’. Lots of oranges and tangerines are consumed at the New Year festival. Mandarin oranges are a small, loose-skinned variety of the common orange, typically sweeter and less acidic than the larger oranges. In legend, a Daoist master could be trapped in a gourd and later emerge just like the story of the genie and the magic lamp. The widespread willow is a very useful tree. The first trees were brought into China from Afghanistan during the Han dynasty. I think if I didn’t buy them by the boxes I’d be going to the store for more every other day! I have never seen this before. This can be emphasized by portraying children with pomegranates in a picture. 松籁 Sōng lài or 松涛 sōng tāo is the music of pine trees as the wind soughs through its needles and branches and is much loved by the poets. Back to the index of Chinese Customs and Traditions Glossary. When the greed y neighbor continued to take advantage all the neighbors united against it and all the lands were returned. The Lychee or Lichee is best known for its white juicy fruit from late summer; the flesh of the fruit surrounds a large, gnarled kernel. The flowering time is just right for the New Year festival. Peaches are a common art motif. As 事 shì ‘matter; business; affair’ sounds the same, it is used to combine with other objects to give good wishes for an undertaking. It was when opium was smoked that it became addictive and caused huge problems . I must admit until recently if it was round and orange I just called it an orange regardless of its size. Paulownia imperialis produces an oil that is very useful for preserving wood - and from this comes its English name. Photo about Juicy mandarin citrus symbol of the new year coming holidays. Persimmons and tangerines together give a wish for success in all things. It is one of the four noblemen (四君子 sì jūn zǐ) that represent the four season where it represents Spring. A boy shooting an arrow at three oranges indicates a wish for him to come first (hit the target) in all three levels of examination, here the orange is just a symbol for a circle 圆 yuán to form 连中三元 lián zhòng sān yuán. Although the lotus root may be cut, its fibered threads are still connected, It is difficult to achieve anything on your own, Pointing to the mulberry tree when the locust tree is to blame, Deliberately deflecting criticism to someone or something else - often to protect friends or family, Offering hope by thinking of something currently out of reach. From a painted Chinese bottle. The examples are excellent. The peony has a double flower and that has led to a hidden meaning of a wish for repeated riches. I have a mandarin tree that was in the yard when we bought our house 10 years ago, the fruit is large and juicy, BUT, the skin is thin and hard to peel, and if left for a week after picking goes rock hard. A willow tree is featured prominently and hence the name. National day marks the founding of the Peoples' Republic on 1st October 1949. Please visit our (secure) contact page to leave any comments you may have. Oranges are grown in southern China and were popular presents for children. Bamboo is such an important plant in China that we have written an extended section all about bamboo. plum blossoms and butterflies - beauty, long life, Pomgranate - keeping, hoping to keep the title or rank from generation to generation in the same family, Willow branch- being able to bend (or adapt) but not break. Als Tangerine (Citrus tangerina) wird sowohl eine Zitruspflanze aus der Familie der Rautengewächse als auch die orangenfarbene Frucht derselben bezeichnet. That’s a whole lot of mandarin oranges! As it sprouts and flowers each year in Spring the Narcissus is called literally a ‘water immortal’ and in a painting may symbolize the immortals and good fortune. Varieties of tangerine include Darby and Fairchild. It often symbolizes female beauty in painting; in association with butterflies, azaleas suggest creative ability in art. A plum tree at Huangmei, Hebei is believed to be 1,600 years old. A basket of fruit symbolizes the Chinese Daoist immortal Lan Caihe. The four friends of the flowers are the swallow; oriole; bee and butterfly. It is a fast growing tree and there is a legend that there was a giant cinnamon tree which grew so fast that its owner could never keep it under control. The cherry tree grows in northern and central China, the wild species are fairly bitter in taste and so were used mainly for medicines.

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