Amulet护身符 hù shēn fú

Amulets since ancient days have been worn in China to bring good luck. The spell on a typical amulet is written in a very old ‘Spirit script’ (pre-Han dynasty) to ward off evil. The script could only be read by thespirits and proved a lucrative sideline for theDaoist priests who were the only people who could write it. An amulet was often made ofjade and may also havebaguo trigrams inscribed.

The earliest amulets were in the form of rings, half-moon pendants and ‘璧 bì’ cylindrical disks. Talismans could also be in the form oftiger's claws, a silver lock, a smallmirror,jade or yellow paper with the spells inscribed.

Ancestral tablet祖 zǔ

The ancestral tablet is an essential part ofAncestor Veneration, the most ancient Chinese tradition. The paternal line was inscribed with names and dates of birth on the tablet that measured roughly 12 inches[30 cms] by 3 inches[8 cms]. The tablet takes central place in the shrine, on a small table with candles, incense sticks, pictures and offerings within the home, usually along the north wall. The tablet is usually made oflacquered wood. Wives names are inscribed on it alongside their husbands.

This tradition had a powerful influence on the preference for boys, as awoman could only be memorialized as a wife on her husband's family's tablet and only a man could officiate at the ritual of veneration. More distant relatives are noted on a separate paperscroll. Part of the ancient ceremony was to pourchicken blood over the tablet to give sustenance to thespirits locked inside it. The number of ancestral tablets on display are a proud advertisement of the longevity and stability of the family line. It also served as a proof of identity. Should someone behave really badly their name would be struck off the tablet, and this was considered a great punishment in itself. At theSpring Festival the whole extended family would gather and pay homage to the tablets. At theQing Ming festival the graves and ancestral tablets are the main focus of ceremony.

Ax斧 fǔ

An ax (fu斧) wrapped in ared cloth is the traditional gift for a bride. It symbolizes the end of virginity.Fu is a homophone for happiness福 so an ax symbolizes best wishes. The shaft of an ax is made of wood but an ax is needed to cut down a tree so it is regarded as the ‘agent’ needed for the harvesting of timber; and so an ax represents themarriage match-maker. An ax (axe) is also one of the twelve symbols ofEmperor's power (symbolizing justice) and also the symbol of manyBuddhist deities fighting evil forces.

Ball球 qiú

A large cloth ball is often seen inChinese Opera. A long time ago at theMid Autumn moon festival a maiden would throw a red ball and the suitor who caught it would become her husband. It was often fixed onto thebridal carriage to symbolize the wish for babies to come.Dragons play with an embroidered ball at theLantern festival where it probably represents thepearl of wisdom or themoon. At the entrance to temples there are often two stonelions, one of which has a ball under its left paw representing the ‘egg’ of a lion cub.

Bell钟 zhōng

The bell is one of the Chinese characters that is easy to remember as ‘zhong’ sounds rather like the sound of a bell. The modern form of the character is made up of the metal radical combined with中 zhōng as the phonetic for ‘middle’. Appropriately it also means ‘o’clock’ from the sounding of bells from a town's bell tower to mark the passage of the day.

A stone chime磬 qìng is an ancient musical instrument rather like a bell, it was an ‘L’ shaped stone suspended by a string and struck with a stick. Originally the stones were made ofjade. The chime is important in symbolism because卿 qīng means ‘high rankingofficial’ and庆 qìng ‘celebrate’. Sometimes twoqings are shown placed together to form a rectangle to represent ‘doubling’ the wish for anofficial appointment. A bell and aruyi together is a charm to keep away evil.

Huge bells date back thousands of years in China. The firstQin Emperor is said to have melted his defeated armies bronze weapons down to make bells. Bells were played asmusical instruments from early days, carefully tuned to form a continuous note progression. Large bells are hung from large wooden bell frames arranged by size and note. They are sounded by hitting with a wooden staff. An early set from theWarring States period consists of 65 bells ranging from 5 feet[2 meters] to just 8 inches[20 cms]. In later dynasties they became associated with religious temples and a bell is sounded at a Buddhist temple at midnight. Wind bells were fixed to roofs to make a melodic sound in the breeze. Hand bells are also used in China and a monk would often rattle small bells to beg for alms. In a painting a bell may wish luck as中 zhòng (fourth tone) means ‘succeed or win’.

Boat船 chuán

Seeing a scholar in a boat in a painting makes for a nice, tranquil scene but there is a further level of meaning that may not be obvious. Boat船 chuán sounds the same as传 chuán ‘to pass on; generation’ and so gives the wish for the whole family to be prosperous over many generations

Book书 shū

China has the longest history for printing books in the world. Early books were made from thin strips ofbamboo, wrapped up like a scroll. Because the Chinese script has so many characters it was a long and painstaking process to hand carve the wooden blocks so text can beprinted. For this reason books needed a long and large circulation to be economically viable; this may be why such emphasis was put on theFive Classics of literature. Budding scholars had to learn key passages by heart in order to pass theImperial examinations. Imperial projects assembled ‘all’ knowledge into huge thousand volumeencyclopedias. When European travelers such asMarco Polo reached China they were amazed by the abundance and low price of books.

Thefirst Qin Emperor is famous for the ‘burning of the books’ which was used to impose his new unified script over the whole of China. All books written in other scripts or histories or those opposing theLegalist philosophy were ordered to be burnt. Paradoxically this resulted in many books being preserved as their owners hid them away to be uncovered centuries later. Ancient classics were considered powerful talismans against evil, and they were treated with respect - the book's paper was not re-used but ritually burnt when the books were no longer usable.

In a painting, books have the obvious meaning of scholarship. Books and redapricots together is another wish for examination success (A尚书 shàng shū was an eminent court official). A baby boy when he reached 100 days old would be given a tray of different objects, if he grasped a book then he was sure to grow up to be a scholar.

Bow弓 gōng

The character for bow is apictograph of the compound bow that was used in China from ancient times. There is a Chinese legend (similar to that ofOdysseus➚) that there is a mighty bow that only the chosen one has the strength to torsion.The Divine ArcherHou Yi后羿 was the most adept archer and is associated with early legends; he shot down nine of the original ten suns (orravens) so that the Earth would not be too hot. His wifeChang 'e is goddess of the Moon.

The archer is seen as fighting against evil and shooting arrows into the sky is a fairly subtle euphemism for a wish for many sons.

Box盒 hé

The character for a small box sounds the same as和 hé which can mean ‘peace; harmony’ and so a box portrayed in a picture symbolizes peaceful wishes. This wish is amplified by the presence oflotus leaves and ascepter. The expensive and lavishly decoratedlacquer boxes of China have been treasured as great works of art for centuries.Hé-hé èr xiān和合二仙 - theHeavenly twins of ‘Harmony and Union’ are shown as two boys one carrying a box (or sometimes a bowl) and the other alotus flower.

Bridge桥梁 qiáo liáng

A bridge is a physical and symbolical link between two different pieces of land. In a painting it often symbolizes a journey, a transformation or the transition between life and death.

On the River Wei near the ancient capital ofChang'an, Shaanxi is the ‘Blue Bridge’ where people took leave of their loved ones before embarking on a long journey. Another famous tale is ofZhi Nu and Niu Lang who were separated in the heavens only to be united once a year over a bridge ofmagpies. Many romantic stories are told of people meeting on or near bridges.

Broom扫 sào

The broom is used for sweeping up, and it has come to be associated with various superstitions, a broom should not be placed in the room of someone who is very ill (sweeping away life), or in a gaming room (sweeping away luck) . It can also symbolize wisdom and insight as it sweeps away ignorance and worry. A broom is used to sweep the house ritually clean just before theNew Year Festival in readiness for a fresh start to the new year but must not be used during the festival itself.

The broom is associated with theDaoist Shide拾得 the eccentric side-kick of the legendary Han Shan寒山 a well known poet.Shide is represented as a smiling figure holding a broom.

扫晴娘 Sǎo qíng niáng is the goddess of fair weather and is shown using a broom to sweep away the clouds.

Brush笔 bǐ

A writing brush is one of a scholar'sfour treasures. The shaft is traditionally made ofbamboo and the brush of animal hair. Acalligrapher is still an esteemed professional in China and quality of calligraphy is regarded as a good judge of character. As well as symbolizing scholarship directly a笔 bǐ can represent certainty as俾 bǐ means ‘to cause’. So combining a brush with an ingot (锭 dìng) and aruyi together gives the wish必锭如意 Bì dìng rú yì ‘You will be sure to have all you desire’.

Canopy盖 gài

One ancient view of the world in China was that the earth was a chariot and the heavens a canopy above it. The use of cloth canopies as a sunshade goes back to theHan dynasty. TheQueen Mother of the West is often shown under a canopy, but it is best known as one of the eightBuddhist symbols and represents the lung of the Buddha.

Coin钱 qián

Ancient Chinese coins were round with a square central hole. These shapes reflect the ancient shapes of earth (square) and heaven (round). Coins were often used as lucky charms but they had a symbolic meaning too. For a complete history of coins in China please see ourChinese money section.

The central hole is called aneye眼 yǎn. A particularly symbolic way to wish good fortune is to combinebats and coins (钱 qián). The bat symbolizes good fortune褔 fú and together with the coins symbolizes ‘before your very eyes’福在眼前 fú zài yǎn qián. In some places a long time ago children wore a necklace of coins, one extra coin was added on each birthday. The homophone迁 qiān means ‘promote, advance’ so money can symbolize a wish for advancement rather than wealth. A string ofnine coins symbolizes continual happiness (as九 jiǔ ‘nine’ sounds the same as久 jiǔ ‘long time’). Coins were conveniently put onto strings by threading through the central hole, a string of 100 cash was considered a good luck present atNew Year.

A money tree probably reflects the way that multiple bronze coins were cast in a mold at the same time. A popularChinese Opera is called ‘Shaking the money tree’.

Silver ingots in the shape of ashoe orboat represent a much larger amount of money. They were called 'sychees'细丝 xì sī and can weigh up to 100 ounces. They were also called元宝 yuán bǎo and because元 yuán means ‘first’ a picture of three silver shoes represent wish to come first in all three levels of theImperial Examinations. Three coins on a string also symbolizes this wish连三元 lián sān yuán passing all the examination grades.

Eight treasures八宝 bā bǎo

Of all the numbers eight is the luckiest and so there are many sets of eight symbols to give a wish for good fortune. For all about the symbolism of numbers see ournumbers section. The most important sets of eight are: the Eight Buddhist treasures, theEight Daoist Immortals (each with their own treasure) and the Eight Trigrams ofYi Jing (I Ching).

Eight Buddhist Treasures (八吉祥 bā jí xiáng)

Many of these are important symbols in their own right and so have their own entry in this section. To make their Buddhist association clear they are often shown tied with a ribbon, they are:

Eight Daoist Immortals (八仙 bā xiān)

We havea section describing each of these important Daoist deities, here we just list the symbols that are often used to refer to them symbolically.

Eight Precious things (八宝 bā bǎo)

These are items of value that have mainly symbolic meanings. Over the centuries different objects have made up the set :

Other treasures that may appear in the set of precious things include silk,ruyi,ivory and coral.

Eight Trigrams八卦 bà guà

These form the basis of the Yi Ching/I Ching. Every possible combination of three broken and straight lines gives the eight trigrams. For a full description see ourYi Jing section.

Endless knot盘长 pán cháng

The endless knot is a common decoration in China. It was originally aBuddhist emblem fromIndia and also used in Hinduism. It is used in embroidery, wooden lattice window designs and all sorts of other places. The most common form has nine crossings (nine being a strongyang number) and its endless cycle suggestsimmortality and the infinite wisdom of Buddha.

Fan扇子 shàn zi

Originally the fan was not the decorated folded fan you associate with China today, they were original unfolded. The old ones came in all shapes and sizes and were made from feathers,silk,paper and palm leaves. The folded fan probably came fromKorea in the 10th century, they are more convenient as they can be carried in the sleeve or in a case fastened to a belt. Folding fans may have ivory, horn or sandalwood frames with decoration often in mother of pearl,lacquer ortortoiseshell.

Over time it became traditional for men's fans to have far fewer ribs than women's - which could have over 30 ribs. Decency dictated that only women would be depicted on women’s fans. In elite circles fans were used with its own particular etiquette, and gestures had specificmeanings➚. This is still evident when fans are used as props intraditional opera.

A fan is the symbol ofZhongli Quan, one of theEight Immortals. Fans may symbolize benevolence and good wishes as善 shàn ‘good, virtuous’ sounds the same. It may also directly symbolize the well-to-do, particularly court officials. The decoration of the silk or paper surface of a fan reached high artistic perfection; typically one side would show alandscape and the other a piece of finecalligraphy.

Filial piety孝 xiào

Filial piety - the selfless service of parents is chief among theConfucian canon of virtues. Many examples of dedication to please parents have come down through the centuries. A well known classic is the ‘24 examples of Filial piety➚’. It recounts examples of extreme dedication such as: sons going without food to ensure parents do not starve; Zhou Yanzi taking to a life disguised among a herd ofdeer so he could collect doe's milk to cure his father's illness and the tale of Huang Xiang who warmed his father's bed each night.

The Chinese went into a long period ofmourning on a parent's death lasting several years. Many pictures and ceramic designs portray examples of filial piety such asoranges (to celebrate the tale of Lu ji ) andcrows.

Flute笛 dí

The transverse held flute is said to have come fromTibet two thousand years ago, it is considered a melancholic instrument and so can symbolize sadness. Traditionally it is a tube with eight holes, one to blow through and one with the reed leaving six to modulate the sound. The clear, shrill sound is thought to provide a connection with the spirit world and so in opera it often accompanies the apparition of a ghost.

The vertically held flute箫 xiāo has an older heritage and this is usually played bywomen.Xiāo shī箫师 who lived in theTang dynasty was considered the master of flute playing. Both types of flute have the bamboo radical as part of the character emphasizing their manufacture frombamboo tubes.

Han Xiangzi韩湘子 (and sometimes Lan Caihe) one of theEight Immortals is usually shown holding a flute.

Ghost鬼 guǐ

As in most countries a belief in ghosts was widespread in China. 'Guǐ'鬼 denotes an malevolent creature, while friendly ghosts, particularly family ghosts, are called 'Shén'神. ‘Hungry ghosts’ are aggrieved because they have been separated from their families and seek vengeance. Ghosts cast no shadow and appear as dark clouds, but they are short-sighted and lurk in dark corners. The seventh month of theChinese calendar year is the ‘ghost’ month with a festival to mark its start and theHungry Ghost festival at its middle.洋鬼子 yáng guǐ zi ‘Ocean demons’ was a derogatory term for foreigners from Europe and America.

Gong锣 luó

Gongs are commonly made of brass and cast into the familiar low conical shape. They come in a variety of sizes up to two feet wide and are suspended by string and hit with a wooden mallet. It is generally struck to announce something, traditionally this might be asolar eclipse (to scare away the monster eating thesun) or the arrival of a seniorofficial. The Yùn luó韵锣 has ten small gongs suspended in a frame and is often seen in traditional musical ensembles andoperas.

Good luck gods五福 wǔ fú

The numberFive is heavily used in Chinese symbolism, usually indicating luck. The five gods of good luck are represented asofficials dressed inred. Thegood fortune is also stressed by presence ofbats (also called fú蝠). Sometimes the symbolism works the other way where five bats represent the five gods.

Halberd戟 jǐ

The halberd or pole-ax is a type of spear that is sometimes used symbolically in paintings. This is becauseji sounds the same as机 jī ‘opportunity’ and级 jí ‘grade; rank’ and so expresses the wish for luck particularly inexaminations.

Combinations of halberds and other objects are common in designs, as there are three stages of examination, three halberds usually represent wish for success in all three grades. A halberd,stone chime and avase make the wish吉庆和平 jí qìng hé píng ‘peace and good fortune’.

Hat冠 guān

A hat sounds the same in Chinese as an official官 guān and so a hat represents the wish to become a well paid official. Each of the nine grades ofofficial wore a hat with a different decoration so they could be easily distinguished. A boy wearing a hat siting on adragon expresses the wish to be the top student.

Heaven天 tiān

Heaven (sky; day) is the pair toEarth, it represents yang (male) in contrast to earth yin (female). The Emperor as the ‘Son of Heaven’ acted as the sole conduit between Earth and Heaven. Thestars in the sky are laid out, according to Chinese tradition, as an Imperial court with theEmperor at the Pole star. Good fortune is considered to fall down from the heavens. There is no belief in China of a Christian/Islamic heaven for the souls of the departed, instead the souls of the virtuous go to theIsles of the Blessed.

The Christian missionaries translated their god as天主 tiān zhǔ while the Supreme Chinese god is Shangdi上帝. ‘All below heaven’天下 Tiān xià was a term used for the whole civilized world and for a long time a name for thecountry of China.

Hell地狱 dì yù

The Chinese hell is generally a less fearsome place than the Christian one. People are punished after death for their misdemeanors, but not for eternity so it is more like the Christian purgatory. Hell can be transliterated as ‘earth prison’ and is divided into ten sections with the first one being the place of initial judgment. Each section is then subdivided according to the particular sins to be punished and ruled by specific demons. The belief in an after-life is strong in China (seeghosts) and ‘hell’ probably came into China withBuddhism. It is the Buddhist tradition that has provided vivid portrayals of the horrors of hell.

Immortals仙 xiān

Many of the Chinese Immortals are based on historical figures who, due to their great virtue, were given immortality; there are hundreds of them; often associated with a particular place. Some say they live in theIsles of the Blessed or with theQueen Mother of the West in theKunlun mountains. Even living people may be termed仙 xiān if they live a virtuous life or show great talent.

TheEight Immortals are the most widely shown group. Sometimes they are pictured greeting thegod of longevity flying past on acrane. These are associated with theDaoist tradition; quite frequently just theeight distinctive insignia for each immortal is shown: gourd; fan; flower basket; bamboo tube; lotus; sword; flute andruyi.

Imperial Insignia十二章纹 shí èr zhāng wén

The Imperial insignia were displayed on robes and decorations at the Imperial palace. Some sources say there were nine insignia, but most have twelve (one for eachlunar month). They date back at least four thousand years and are mentioned in the Classic text the书经 Shū jīng ‘Book of Documents’. Only theEmperor could wear the full set of twelve, lower ranks of nobility could use only a few of them.

They are :

Upper garment

• Sun (日 rì) Symbol ofyang, often with a three leggedcockerel orraven at its center.
• Moon (月 yuè) Symbol ofyin, may include the jaderabbit at its center.
• Three Stars (星辰 xīng chén) Part of theBig Dipper constellation and the seat of Divine Justice.
• Mountains (山 shān) Represents stable rule over the earth.
• Dragon (龙 lóng) A pair of five clawed imperialdragons representing Imperial power and control over all waters. Reminds the Emperor that he should inspire all to virtue.
• Pheasant (野鸡 yě jī)Pheasants represent all the birds, and the Empress (sometimes thephoenix is used instead). It is an example of the quieter virtues.

Lower garment

• Two vessels (宗彝 zōng yí) - represent loyalty,ancestor veneration andfilial piety. One cup is decorated with atiger (strength) the other with amonkey (cleverness).
• Water plants (藻 zǎo) - represent purity and water. Some such plants are considered as givingimmortality.
• Grain (粉米 fěn mǐ) - representfood and fire, and is often in the form ofmillet. Reminds the emperor of his duty to feed the people.
• Fire (火 huǒ) - represent the Emperor's fervor to govern wisely as well as theelement fire.
• Ax (黼 fǔ) - the head of anax to represent decisiveness and punishment of evil.
• Fu (黻 fú) - two back to backbow symbols (亞 yǎ) represent the judgment between good and evil. Homophone with fu -good fortune.

Isles of the Blessed瀛州 yíng zhōu

The Chinese have a legend of an island paradise out to the East - in the North China Sea - possibly relating to legends aboutJapan. The blessed live there for eternity. They are known by various names for this Eastern ‘Avalon➚’ including方丈 Fāng zhàng,蓬莱 Péng lái and瀛洲 Yíng zhōu.

TheQin Emperor Shihuangdi sent out Xú Fú徐福 in 219BCE to search for the Islands of the Blessed in the hope that he would bring back an Elixir of Life to give him immortality. Xu is said to have seen the islands but was held back from getting close by strong easterly winds. The islands can only be reached by immortals andcranes.

Some say the herb of immortality grows here and that it is a type of water grass with long leaves.Zoysia pungens➚芝 is one candidate plant. The herb is sometimes shown in the mouth of adeer or in the beak of acrane emphasizing the symbolism of immortality. It is reputed that only somedeer andphoenixes are able to find it.

Others say the herb of immortality is actually a bracket fungus, possiblyGanoderma lucidum➚ (灵芝 líng zhī) which grows widely on decaying trees. Unlike other fungi and wood Lingzhi remains solid indefinitely which may explain the association with immortality. Some similar species are brightred and it is often portrayed in works of art to represent a wish for long life. Many different types of mushroom are used intraditional medicine.

Laozi老子 lǎo zǐ

Laozi, literally ‘old master’ is the legendary founder ofDaoism. Please see a dedicated sectionon Laozi for his biography and more on Daoism. Laozi is a common subject for pictures and figurines and so deserves an entry under symbolism. He is always portrayed as a bearded old man with a bald head usually riding awater buffalo. He is easy to confuse with thegod of longevity as he also symbolizeslongevity as well as a revered religious figure.

Longevity寿星 shòu xīng

TheGod of Longevity is a very common art motif, often onsilk gowns as an artistic form of the character for longevity寿.

The God of Longevity is a tall old man with a bald, elongated head and whitebeard. He usually rides adeer and may hold other emblems of longevity including apeach, acrane,ruyi,mushrooms of immortality and a long knobbly wooden staff. He may be accompanied by a boy. Some say he lives at the South Pole (as南极仙翁 Nán jí xiān wēng) where he tends a garden full of the Herb of Immortality. The other part of his name星 xīng means ‘star’ and he is associated with the bright star Canopus in the Argoconstellation.

He is one of a trinity of good fortune deities:Fu,Lou andShou representing Happiness; Prosperity and Longevity.

Luohan罗汉 luó hàn

The eighteen Buddhist ‘arhats’ are called十八罗汉 Shí bā luó hàn in Chinese and hold a similar place in Chinese affection as theEight Daoist Immortals. Luohan means ‘destroyers of the enemy’ and these enemies inBuddhism are the passions. A luohan (or lohan) has dispensed with all the passions and so is free from reincarnation and reachednirvana➚. Although eighteen are distinguished in illustrations; temples often have up to 500luohan.

Of the eighteen, sixteen are Indian in origin, only two are Chinese. Every luohan has a standard pose and is associated with particular animals and objects by which they can be identified.

Lute琴 qín

All Chinese Festivals

There are many different lute-like instruments in China. Theqin琴 qín short for古琴 gǔ qín is one of the oldest and most appreciated type of zither. It has a long body, laid on a table with seven strings and is plucked with the fingernails. Originally, in theHan dynasty, it only had five strings.

Qin can also mean禁 jìn ‘prohibit, forbid’ and one legend says the name comes from the ability of the instrument to soothe and so ‘prohibit’ violent passion.

A standard size for the instrument is 3 chǐ尺 (feet) 6.6 cùn寸 (inches) long to represent the 365.25 days in a year and 1.8 cùn寸 (inches) thick (0.3 x 6)

A similarly ancient instrument is the瑟 sè which generally has more strings. Most of the scholarly élite of China were expected to display some proficiency atmusic, and particularly on theguqin. It was one of the four accomplishments of scholars together with象棋 xiàng qíchess;书 shūliterature and画 huàpainting. This makes aqin symbolically represent the wish to become a scholar.

The pipa琵琶 pí pá is a widely seen form of lute similar to a mandolin. It came to China from Iran. It symbolizes good luck. The famous concubineWang Zhaojun➚ is often shown holding a largepipa, she was sent byHan Emperor Yuan as a peace trophy to the Xiongnu tribe. She is considered one of the chief paragons of beauty.

Mirror镜 jìng

In ancient times mirrors were circular and made of bronze and they gave an imperfect reflection that soon tarnished. Around the center a decorated border was often fashioned. A bronze mirror铜镜 tóng jìng sounds similar to同谐 tóng xié ‘together in harmony’. Later on silver and gold were used to produce a clearer reflection. As in Europe the mirror is associated with magical properties护心镜 hù xīn jìng; it makes spirits visible and so can be used to see the ‘hare in themoon’; it also keeps evil at bay. If people do not recognize themselves in a mirror it is a sign that death is near at hand. InFeng Shui theba gua mirror has a central circular mirror surrounded by the eighttrigrams and is used to control the flow ofqi, and reflect badqi away.

There is a legend that a mirror split in two can be used to monitor a loved one far away, if they are each given one half of it, and one proves unfaithful it will turn into amagpie and fly away. A mirror is considered lucky and if a man finds one, he will soon find a wife, it is therefore an appropriate gift for an unmarried man.

Mouth organ笙 shēng

You may see the traditional musical instrument the ‘sheng’ or reed organ - an elaborate form of mouth organ - in art work. This is because it happens to sound the same as升 shēng ‘to ascend’ so it represents a wish for promotion. The sheng typically has 17 bamboo pipes arranged in a ring and blown from a special mouth piece.

It has now fallen out of fashion and is only commonly seen among the mountain people of southern China.

Pagoda宝塔 bǎo tǎ

The pagoda is a frequent motif in Chinese paintings and onporcelain. It is described in ourChinese architecture section.

Some were built to house sacredBuddhist remains, but with the Chinese open attitude to religion they do not generally have a religious connotation when depicted in a picture. They can be octagonal or circular and usually of seven or nine levels (always an odd number). Sometimes they were built to counter poorFeng Shui in a location, and in a picture they serve a similar purpose, balancing the composition and giving a visual measure of distance.

Pan Gu盘古 pángǔ

The legend of Pangu as the progenitor of all creation seems to have come late to China, probably from minority people of southern China, in ancient China there was no divine creator.

On the death of Pangu his body parts became the earth and all living things. Sometimes he is portrayed as hewing the Earth fromrock and sometimes with the symbol ofyin-yang, this is related to the Daoist doctrine that from the One came the Two (yin and yang) and from these all things.

Pavilion亭 tíng

Rather like thepagoda, the pavilion is a familiar motif in Chinese painting. They are usually of one or two levels and often located by lakes. Many villages had small pavilions to give protection to travelers from the elements, and as such were the scene of many amorous encounters. High ‘flying’ eaves decorate the roofs (see ourarchitecture section for more on this). One popular motif is a round pavilion set high in mountains to represent theIsles of the Blessed.

Ru Yi如意 rú yì

The decorative emblem ‘ruyi’ (a.k.a.joo-iWG) symbolizes a wish for success without any obstacles as it translates to如意 rú yì ‘according to wishes’. The ruyi represents a ritual shortsword and sword guard originally made of iron. It dates back at least two thousand years where one form may have been used as a back-scratcher. In the Qing dynasty it became an extremely popular symbolic object with ambassadors exchanging ruyis with the Emperor. The gift of aruyi signifies good wishes for future prosperity. It is often used as a decorative motif in embroidery and wooden window lattices. Versions were held in the hand and raised to show respect for others. The head of the sword (the sword-guard seen end on) resembles abat in shape which is another symbol forgood fortune. This shape without the sword element is said to mimic theplant/mushroom (lingzhi) of longevity/immortality and thelotus and here it looks rather like a cloud with a tail. It may have come from the Buddhist tradition and came to symbolize wealth and power. It is also associated with the ceremonial scepter珽 tǐng and the jade tablet圭 guī.

Saddle鞍 ān

Thehorse saddle is sometimes used to symbolize peace as安 ān ‘peace’ sounds the same. It was used in themarriage ceremony by being placed in the house so that the bride would step over the saddle symbolizing a wish for peace and harmony in married life.

Scroll卷 juàn

The Chinese have been writing and painting on scrolls for millenniums. The slow unraveling of a scroll has had a profound impact on Chinese art. Instead of seeing a scene all at once, a scroll painting is revealed progressively. This explains some of the finer points of composition of paintings.Writing too, is influenced by the scroll. Traditional writing is top to bottom; right to left as this is much more convenient when reading from a scroll, and so a poem on a scroll is not seen all at once it is revealed little by little.

Originally writing was on thin strips ofbamboo before the invention ofpaper. A scroll has the advantage that it is easy to place a seal over the end when wrapped (made of clay or wax over one end) so that it can be certain that the contents have not been read by intermediaries. Scrolled poems orproverbs are often created as ornamental objects to be hung on walls.

Scrolls are traditionally associated with Buddhist scripture and these were the very first printed books in the world. As such they symbolize truth and enlightenment. They are often considered one of theEight Precious Things.

Shoe鞋 xié

As shoes come in pairs there is an implicit link to a wish formarital harmony.Silver ingots are made in the shape of a shoe (orboat) and so shoes commonly represent wealth. In some areas shoes were exchanged to express the wish to live in harmony. It also sounds the same as协 xié ‘harmony’ to reinforce the message. InCantonese xié is pronounced ‘hai’ and expresses the wish for a child. A shoe and a bronzemirror together symbolize wish for a long marriage as同 tòng ‘together’ sounds similar to铜 tóng ‘copper; bronze’.

The bound feet of women were called lotus feet and as ‘lian’ forlotus sounds the same as连 lián for ‘continuous’ a picture of women's shoes may therefore represent a wish for ‘a succession of children’.

Sword钢刀 gāng dāo

From ancient times fine swords were highly valued. Sword-smiths are known from 4,500 years ago, well before theIron Age➚. Symbolically a sword was used by heroes to overcomedemons. One of theeight immortals (Lü Dongbin)吕洞宾 is shown carrying a demon-slaying sword. Likewise钟馗 Zhōng kuí is another hero brandishing a sword to destroy evil demons. Gān Jiàng干將 and Mò Yé莫邪 were a married couple of sword-smiths from theWarring States Period, who with great heroism fashioned a pair of powerful swords (one male; one female).

Taotie饕餮 tāo tiè

Pantheon of Chinese gods and heroes

The ancient design element of the ‘Taotie’ is commonly seen on the designs ofZhou andShang dynasty vessels. It is a scary portrayal of the head of the ‘Beast of Greed’ and warns against the evils of avarice and sensuality. It was also depicted on the照壁 zhào bì ‘shield wall’ blocking direct access into ahouse oryamen reminding anofficial and his visitors of the temptation of gluttony and avarice. It depicts a monster's face with two huge eyes and powerful jaws. Sometimes it has antlers and sometimes the head of atiger. According to legend the monster was banished byEmperor Shun. It was used as the basis for a horde of evil monsters in the filmThe Great Wall (2016)➚ starring Matt Damon.

Tripod鼎 dǐng

Heavy ancient cooking vessels made of bronze called ‘ding’ are often seen outside temples and in museums. Many of them date back at least 4,500 years. They achieved symbolic importance because the possession of the nine tripods represented the Emperor's control over thenine regions of China. Each tripod was said to be engraved with a map of the region. If the tripods were lost then it was believed that this indicated that themandate of heaven had been withdrawn and the dynasty would fall. The three feet represent the threeGrand secretaries ruling China under the direction of theEmperor. They are now used primarily as good luck symbols.

Umbrella伞 sǎn

The umbrella or parasol is a Chinese character which is clearly portrayed with the minimum of strokes. The old form has four people sheltering underneath it傘. Traditionally it was made ofbamboo sticks covered with waxedpaper. Folding umbrellas have been known in China from two thousand years ago. Wenzhou inZhejiang is famous for manufacturing umbrellas.

A ceremonial umbrella ofred silk was presented to a respected administrator when he left office, it had the names of the donors emblazoned on it in gold. An umbrella is one of the eight sacredBuddhist emblems. It represents protection as it wards off rain and by extension evil spirits.

Vase瓶 píng

Traditional vases in China tend to be ofporcelain, bronze and not glass. They come in many different styles often designed to show off a particular type offlower. As平 píng ‘peace’ sounds the same, the gift of a vase symbolizes a wish for peace. A rare and precious vase宝瓶 bǎo píng sounds the same as保平 bǎo píng ‘ensure peace’. A picture of a vase with flowers will add the wish for peace, so a vase containing the representative four seasonal flowers四季 sì jì (plum,lotus,chrysanthemum,pine) gives a wish for peace throughout the whole year四季平安 sì jì píng ān.

The vase is one of theeight precious Buddhist symbols and so appears frequently on Buddhist artwork. In this case it is not for flowers but an urn used to hold sacred relics.