Chinese Symbolism of Natural Elements

Chinese Symbolism of natural elements https://www.chinasage.info/symbols/nature.htm#XLXLSymSwa...
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Index - Birds - Animals - Flowers and Fruit - Colors - Nature - Assorted
Nature symbolism in Chinese art

T his group of symbols cover a wide variety of
items with some sort of connection to nature.
The Chinese Daoist strand of philosophy has
always sought a harmonious and respectful
relationship with nature rather than
exploitation. We have a separate section on
other natural subjects: animals; flowers & fruit
as well as birds. Here we cover elements,
minerals and natural patterns, here is the full
list:
Amber Beard Children Cinnabar
Cloud Dew Earth Fire Gall bladder
Hair Heart Ice Jade Lacquer
Meander Moon Mountain Numbers
Pearl Rain Seasons Stone Sun
Swastika Tai Ji Thunder Wave Wine
Jade carving of Buddhist Goddess of
Mercy (Guanyin)
Amber 琥珀 hǔ pò
A mber, which is solidified pine resin, is most commonly found in Yunnan
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belief that the spirit of a tiger goes back

into the earth on its death to form amber.
Therefore Amber has been used in TCM to
give the properties of tiger to medicines.
Amulets, beads and small bowls have
been made from amber over the centuries.
Blood amber ( 血珀 xuè pò) is particularly
potent and has been used as an
aphrodisiac. From very early times the
Chinese knew amber was tree resin as
they studied the insects often trapped
Amber bead
inside blocks of amber.
Beard 胡子 hú zi Proverb
明枪易躲,暗箭难
A lthough long bushy beards are a 防
common sight at the Opera, many Míng qiāng yì duǒ, àn
Chinese struggle to grow anything jiàn nán fáng
more than a thin, wispy beard. With It is easy to dodge a spear from in front; but
the Confucian doctrine of reverence hard to avoid an arrow from behind
for elders a beard represents wisdom It is difficult to guard against
and scholarship. On stage and in furtive attacks
pictures a beard symbolizes strength All about Chinese proverbs
and supernatural power. However a red

or purple beard is considered demonic
(from Buddhist representations) and this
affected Chinese attitudes to early
European traders when they arrived with
ginger hair and beards.
China National Peking Opera Company
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villainous character with white make-up and a

long beard Copyright © Dreamstime see image
license
Children 孩子 hái zi
T he wish for children is a very common motif
in paintings, embroidery and porcelain.
However, it must be admitted that traditionally
the wish is for boys not girls. This apparent
misogynistic attitude has to be explained. In the
traditional village context a daughter would
soon enough leave to marry someone in another
village and would then have very little contact
with her birth family (often only at New Year).
On the other hand a boy would remain in the
family home and have a strong Confucian duty
to look after his parents into their old age.
Scholarly or mercantile activity was restricted
to men and so a family's dream of riches and
preferment could only come about through
Two boys, one holding a chime the other
a carp on a bamboo stick. Wishing a
bearing sons.
successful career. In ancient times children's hair was shaved off,
leaving a boy with a central tuft over the
forehead and a girl with two tufts over the ears.
Hé-hé èr xiān 和合二仙 - the Heavenly twins are two boys carrying a box and a
lotus to symbolize a wish for peace ‘hé’ 和 (box) and harmony 荷 hé (lotus). A
picture may be divided in two, each part having a mother and son, one side has
the son holding a lotus flower on the other the son rides a qilin, both symbolize a
wish for a son. A picture with children surrounded by peaches and pomegranates
symbolizes the wish for many sons.
Cinnabar 丹砂 dān shā

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C innabar is an orange-red mineral of mercury

(mercuric sulfide). It has been associated with
alchemy and magic in both China and Europe
from the earliest times. This is because when
heated it gives off hydrogen sulfide and
produces shiny, liquid metal - mercury - as if by
magic. In China this transformation suggested
properties connected to immortality, so some
Emperors may have been poisoned by taking
cinnabar elixirs (as mercuric compounds are
poisonous). The Elixir of the Immortals 仙丹
xiān dān was also said to contain cinnabar.
Many European alchemists believed all metals
Carved Cinnabar lacquer beads Image by were made up of a mixture of cinnabar and
Pschemp ➚ available under a Creative sulfur. The English name comes from the
Commons License ➚
Persian name Zinjifrah ‘dragon’s blood’. In
Daoist belief there is a cinnabar zone just below
the navel that is a key location in meditation.
The rich orange-red color of Cinnabar was used to make the vermillion ink which
was used solely by the Emperor. Cinnabar used to provide dye for the red wax
used for making the ‘chop’ (seal) marks on almost all old documents and
paintings. When added to lacquer it makes the characteristic red color for
intricate lacquer-work . The color is similar to the bark of the Cinnamon and
Cassia trees.
Cloud 云 yún
C louds are considered lucky and so feature heavily in Chinese pictures and
symbolism. This is most likely down to the obvious connection that clouds bring
the much needed rain to water the crops. It sounds the same as 运 yùn ‘luck,
fortune, fate’.
Dragons are often shown playing in the clouds as dragons are the masters of water
and rain. A picture of bats flying among clouds is a wish for good fortune. The
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Clouds are considered the

union of yin and yang
because they are a fusion of
the elements of water and air,
sky and earth. From this idea
clouds can symbolize making
love as the union of male and
female.
云消雾散 Yún xiāo wù
sàn
Cloud and mists disperse
All becomes clear
again. Troubles are
over
Dew 露 lù
A s dew comes down from the sky to
盼 pàn to hope
earth it symbolizes the benevolent
for; to long for; to
rule of the Emperor, who as the ‘Son expect
of Heaven’ was the link to the skies.
Made up of [目 mù eye radical 109, 分 fēn
Because a morning dew is such a
divide; part]
fleeting affair it can symbolize a brief Full information for 盼
romance. Chinese characters…
W e have divided up the large number of art symbols

into different categories: Birds , Animals , Colors ,
Flowers & fruit , General Nature and
Assorted / miscellaneous .
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A ncient Chinese thought the Earth was a flat square and the Heavens above
were round. Heaven and Earth were considered the two great divisions, earth is
yin and heaven is yang. In combination with another character for earth 地 dì 天
地 tiān dì ‘heaven and earth’ represents the whole universe. In the Yi Jing, the
most important first two hexagrams are the all yang 乾 qián (heaven) and all yin
坤 kūn (earth). Earth is one of the Feng Shui elements and one of the eight
trigrams. The ancient cycle of 60 is made up of twelve earthly branches ( 地支 dì
zhī) combined with the ten heavenly stems ( 天干 tiān gàn).
Fire 火 huǒ
Although fire is
chiefly seen as
one of the five
elements it also
has a symbolic
meaning. It is
one of the parts
of the Imperial
insignia where it
represents the
Emperor's fierce
zeal to govern
the people
wisely. Fierce
(active) Buddhist
deities are shown surrounded by flames. Traditionally Chinese homes did not
have an open fire but a ‘kang’ as a form of heated seat/ bed. All fires for heating
were put out before the Qing Ming festival. The active meaning of fire may come
from its closeness in sound to 活 huó ‘active, living’. Fire is considered a powerful
agent to remove evil spirits. Fires at the New Year festival attract the good gods
and scare away the bad ones. The ritual burning of ghost money and other
offerings sends them to the spirit world. Some consider Fuxi was the deity who
brought fire to mankind, but others say it was the Yellow Emperor.
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Gall Bladder 胆 dǎn

I n traditional medicine the
gall bladder was thought to
control a person’s
temperament. The gall
bladder produces bile to help
digest food and it was
thought that it expanded
when people became angry.
The gall bladder of violent
criminals was considered to
be a very potent medicine. It
is one of the eight treasures
of Buddha.
The names of the acu-moxa locations of the gall bladder channel

of foot shaoyang are inscribed on the figure of a child. The gall
bladder channel of foot shaoyang is one of the Twelve Channels.
It originates at the tongziliao (Pupil Crevice), in the outer
canthus of the eye, and terminates at the lidui (Sharp Opening)
point, in the outer side of the fourth toe. Image by Wellcome
Trust ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚
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P eople's hair ( 头发 tóu fà

is almost universally black in
China. Although some
youngsters now bleach it to
turn it orange/red and are so
called ‘carrot tops’, it is
generally straight but in
southern china it can be
naturally wavy. During the
Manchu (Qing) dynasty men
had to wear their hair as a
pleated single, long ‘queue’
辫子 biàn zi with forehead
Chinese Meal. Men with hair in 'queues' c. 1880 Image by shaved to show subservience
caviarkirch ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚ to the Manchus.
Traditionally, boys had their
hair shaved to leave a single, central tuft while girls’ hair was shaved to leave two
tufts one over each ear.
毛骨悚然 Maó gǔ sǒng rán

Hair standing on end
Petrified with fright
Heart 心 xīn
T he heart is the source of emotions and held to be the seat of the intellect as
well. It is one of the five main body parts and is represented in the system of five
elements with fire. Many characters associated with emotions include the heart
radical to give the hint that they represent strong feelings such as 怒火 nù huǒ
‘rage’; 怕 pà ‘fear’; 情 qíng ‘lust’ and 忿 fèn ‘anger’.
人心不足蛇吞象 Rén xīn bù zú shé tūn xiàng

A person's greed is like a snake that seeks to swallow an elephant
Greed is insatiable
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心甘情愿 Xīn gān qíng yuàn

Delighted and helpful
Delighted to be able to help
心花怒放 Xīn huā nù fàng

The flower of the heart in full bloom
Full flowering of joy
心旷神怡, 事事顺利 Xīn
kuàng shén yí, shì shì shùn lì
Heart joyful, work profitable
Feeling happy and relaxed
Woodcut illustration fromShenti sancai tuhui

(Colored Illustrations of the Body), by the Ming
dynasty (1368 - 1644) author Wang Siyi. The
image shows the form and position of the heart.
It is situated beside the 5th vertebra, below the
lung, above the diaphragm. It is the ruler of the
zangviscera. Image by Wellcome Trust ➚
available under a Creative Commons License ➚
Ice 冰 bīng
I ce forms the boundary between air (yang) and water (yin) from this it
symbolizes the match-maker ( 冰人 bīng rén) who forms the male-female
partnership (a true 'ice-breaker'). Ice symbolizes purity and winter. There is a
cracked ice design that is often used in lattice window and porcelain designs. Ice
also alludes to the story of Wang Xiang ➚ who was so devoted to his parents that
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Cracked ice design
Jade 玉 yù
J ade is such an important precious stone in
China that we have a whole section dedicated to
it. It is valued above gold and symbolizes
immortality. The Queen Mother of West has a
jade pond 瑶池 yáo chí and holds a feast there
for the immortals. The Jade Emperor is the
supreme god in popular Daoist tradition.
宁为玉碎, 不为瓦全 Nìng wéi yù
suì, bù wéi wǎ quán
Don't be a proud piece of broken jade, be a
complete tile
Better to persevere than face
destruction by standing out
抛砖引玉 Pāo zhuān yǐn yù

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Jade carving of Buddhist Goddess of conversation by making a silly remark

Mercy (Guanyin)
香消玉损 Xiāng xiāo yù sǔn

Fragrance is dissipated; jade is broken
Spoken of on the death of a beautiful
young woman
Whom the Gods love die young
Lacquer 漆 qī
L acquer is made from
either the sap of the Lacquer
tree Toxicodendron
vernicifluum ➚ or the sticky
secretions of the ‘lac’ insect
Kerria lacca ➚ . The rarer
‘lac’ form is produced by
deliberately infesting trees
with the scale insects and
then the heavily coated wood
is harvested. Lacquer's
origin is clear from the
composition of the character
as it contains both ‘liquid’
and ‘tree’. A lacquer tree is at
its best at 14-15 years old.
The solid resin is dissolved
in turpentine and water and
A Chinese red lacquer tray over wood with engraved golden foil,
from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), dated 12th to early 13th is applied in many thin
century. As the Freer and Sackler Galleries museum description layers to wood or paper to
states, in China the gold-engraving technique is called qiangjin.
make a waterproof,
The museum caption states that this method has existed since
roughly the 3rd century AD, although it was not until the Song antibacterial, durable
Dynasty era that gold engravings were found on luxury surface that withstands
lacquerwares. After a wooden tray was covered with multiple
modest heat. A secret
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into the grooves. The two long-tailed birds and a peony plant
enzyme from crustaceans
depicted in this tray are symbolic of longevity and prosperity in
prevent the lacquer from
Chinese culture, since the Chinese word for "long life" (shou)
crystallizing. The best
sounds similar to the words for long-tailed birds (dai shou).
Image by PericlesofAthens ➚ available under a Creative
quality lacquer has a
Commons License ➚
hundred layers and can take
years to produce as each
layer has to completely dry before the next is applied. It dates back at least 3,300
years in China. Whole dinner services were made from lacquer for the very rich.
Other objects include chairs, screens, shoes and all kinds of boxes.
It can be dyed with various colors but red (traditionally from cinnabar) is the
most widely seen form. It was used extensively on the decoration of coffins for
senior officials. Lacquer work became very popular late in China under the reign
of Qing Emperor Qianlong after which it became a specialty of the Japanese.
Meander 廻纹 huí wén
T he meander pattern is used as a very common decorative edge on all types of

object: lattice window frames, embroidery, lacquer-work, carpets and porcelain.
The repeated linked meander pattern dates back thousands of years. It is usually
made of nested squares but can also be of spirals and curves. Huí 回 means
‘return’ so there is symbolism of cycles and rebirth. Some consider that the
meander pattern evolved out of the cloud and thunder pattern 云雷纹 yún léi
wén and that it is related to the swastika pattern.
Moon 月 yuè
T he moon is chiefly associated with yin compared to the sun that is yang. From
this assignment everything ‘yin’ is also considered to be associated with the moon:
female; the Empress; cool and darkness. Pearls are considered to have come from
the moon. Although it is all yin it does appear as part of the Imperial Insignia. The
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Moon Festival that the moon has

its strongest influence. At this
festival round, sweet moon-cakes
are made and consumed with
gusto.
The Chinese see the figure of a hare
in the moon - not a man in the
moon - the hare is said to be
perpetually making the elixir of
immortality at the base of a
cinnamon tree. The moon is the
abode of the goddess of the moon
Chang-e . Chinese Lunar space
missions are named Chang'e after
her and the lunar rovers are named
Hutu ‘Jade Rabbit’ after the
hare/rabbit association. It is also
associated with the three legged
toad.
An eclipse of the moon was said to
be caused by the Heavenly dog star
天狗星 tiān gǒu xīng attacking it
and temple bells were rung to drive
it away. The Heavenly Archer
Houyi would also be called upon to
嫦娥奔月 Chang'e Flying to the Moon Image by Ren save the moon from the eclipse.
Shuai Ying available under a Creative Commons
The moon was much beloved by
License ➚
the poets and 李白 Li Bai is said
to have drowned trying to embrace the reflection of the moon in the waters of the
Yangzi. In a picture it is shown as a pinkish disk among clouds with curling waves
to suggest its control over the tides.
月到中秋分外明, 每逢佳节倍思亲 Yuè dào zhōng qiū fèn

wài míng, měi féng jiā jié bèi sī qīn
The moon is brightest at the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the feeling of homesickness will
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There's no place like home
月下老人 Yuè xià laǒ rén

The deity of marriage matchmakers
Someone enabling people to meet with marriage in mind
Mountain 山 shān
M any mountains in China are sacred, some to Daoists, some to Buddhists and
some to both. In folk religion each mountain has its own deity associated with it.
The pictogram character for mountain 山 shān has three towering peaks.
‘Mountains and sea’ represent an all encompassing phrase for the whole world 山
海 shān hǎi. Mountains represent the yang element in the landscape and as
such connect to the governing yang element in China - the Emperor. Landslides
and earthquakes were considered a strong portent that the Emperor's reign was in
trouble. Mountain is one of the eight trigrams in Feng Shui and Yi Jing.
There are five sacred Daoist mountains each with its own five element; color and
direction association: Taishan, Shandong (East; element wood and color green);
Hengshan, Hunan (South; element fire and color red); Songshan, Henan (Center;
element earth and color yellow); Huashan, Shaanxi (West; element metal and
color white) and Hengshan, Shanxi (North; element water and color black). Of
these Taishan is considered the most important and stones from the mountain
were often placed in towns across China as a lucky charm. While Emei shan in
Sichuan is sacred to Buddhists along with other faiths. The Kunlun mountains in
the west (Qinghai) appear in many legends, they are the source of jade and the
reputed home of the Queen Mother of the West. Chinese people climb mountain
peaks as a form of pilgrimage, the routes to the top can be thronged with people.
The climb physically and symbolically brings you closer to the heavens.
Mountains are thought to bring about the union of yin and yang to produce the
much needed rain.
There is a famous tale of the ‘Old Man and the Mountain’ where an old man
became so annoyed with a long detour to get to the other side of a mountain that
he set about digging a way right through it. When a scholar pointed out the folly
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completed. Mao Zedong used this tale as a

parable for achieving the unthinkable by
ceaseless toil but in the original story it was the
Supreme God Shangdi who took pity on the Old
Man and set his immortal minions to cut a way
through the mountains.
千山万水 Qiān shān wàn shuǐ

Many mountains and many rivers
A long and arduous journey
山明水秀 Shān míng shuǐ xiù

Beautiful mountain scenery
Beautiful landscape
有眼不识泰山 Yǒu yǎn bù shí tài shān

To fail to see the great Taishan mountain
To be too arrogant or ignorant to
acknowledge true talent
愚公移山 Yú gōng yí shān

The foolish old man who moved mountains?. The
old story ➚ is that an old man wanted to move a
mountain that blocked his path. Despite
widespread cynicism he and his descendents
gradually wore down the mountain
Anything can be achieved with
persistence
Cloudy Mountain by Xi Gang, 1785.

Available under a Creative Commons
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纲 gāng guiding
Numbers 秘数 mì shǔ principle; main
rope of a net;
N umbers authority
play a
major role Made up of [纟 sī silk radical 120, 冈 gāng
ridge; mound]
in
Origin
symbolism
The silk radical alludes to rope - its main
in China.
meaning, while 'gang' (ridge) gives the
Each number has numerous sound
associations, for a full survey please Full information for 纲
see our numbers section. Chinese characters…
In summary, four is the most unlucky
and eight the luckiest but nine is the most powerful as it was associated with
strong yang and the Emperor. Five is important because there are five elemental
essences and associated with each element is a whole series of concepts in fives:
color; musical notes; body organs; poisons; sacred mountains; blessings; compass
directions. Eight plays an important part in the Yi Jing system as there are eight
trigrams. Odd numbers are considered yang and male; even numbers yin and
female.
Each dynasty had a governing number which would decide many things - for
example the size of the official's hats. An ancient counting system used the twelve
earthly branches and ten heavenly stems to form the sexagesimal sequence of
sixty used for days and years. However a decimal system was instituted at an early
date for most other things.
The importance of numbers is very evident in the design of the Temple of Heaven,
Beijing where almost everything comes in groups which have an underlying
meaning. As nine is the Imperial number, this number predominates, with circles
of nine stones expanding out by 9 until a count of 81 (9x9) stones are reached.
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Flowers & fruit , General Nature and

Assorted / miscellaneous .
Pearl 珠 zhū
F reshwater pearls have been found in
Chinese rivers from ancient times. The
shiny translucent quality has long been
associated with the moon. Legends
consider pearls to originate from the
moon which is sometimes known as 夜
明珠 yè míng zhūthe ‘night shining
pearl’. A pearl was once placed in the
mouth of the deceased. Dragons are often
shown chasing a pearl from the legend
that the phases of the moon are due to a
dragon eating it. In this case the pearl
may represent wisdom. As the pearl lies
Details of the Nine Dragon Screen, Forbidden hidden inside an unprepossessing dark
City, Beijing. Dragons chasing the pearl of
shell of a mussel, it also symbolizes
wisdom
hidden beauty or talent. It is one of

the eight jewels of Buddhism, in this Women in China
form it may be surrounded with Gender equality in China
has been a long time
flames to denote its magical powers.
coming. Traditions dating
back thounsands of years
are hard to shift. There has yet to be a
woman appointed to the top rung of
government committee. Change really
only started to come after the foundation
of the Peoples Republic in 1949. Our page
on attitudes to women covers the few
Imperial women leaders, marriage and
concubines as well as foot binding.
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Rain 雨 yǔ Owls
Culture
T he absence of rain spelled death to The owl is a bird of
ill omen in China
our ancestors, so the wish for life
and is considered
giving rain is a very common theme. to be unlucky.
One of the earliest recorded Read more…
consultations using oracle

bones was the question ‘will it
rain?’. All sorts of minor
deities and gods could be
turned to grant the wish for
rain. Dragons as the
controllers of all waters were
the most powerful creatures.
As rain falls from heaven
(yang) to earth (yin) it is seen
as the fruit of their union.
Permanently wet and dry
stones were associated with
the wish for the rain to stop
or start respectively.
A rainbow 彩虹 cǎi hóng symbolizes this marriage of yin and yang. In ancient
times the rainbow was shown as a two headed dragon. It represents making love
but in an adulterous rather than a marital context.
泥人怕雨 ,谎言怕理 Ní rén pà yǔ, huǎng yán pà lǐ

A mud figure fears rain; a lie fears truth
Over time lies will eventually be laid bare
Truth will out
Seasons 岁时 suì shí

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the reason that the early part of the Zhou

dynasty is called ‘Spring and Autumn
Period’ it actually referred to annals of
the whole year. The two seasons were
then each split into two to make the
familiar four seasons. For one brief time
a fifth season was added to fit in with the
five-fold categorization of all things
under the theory of elements; the extra
season was inserted between summer
and autumn. Chinese seasons were linked
to the lunar calendar and because New
Year is late January or early February it
explains why early blossom such as plum
is considered a flower of winter rather
than spring. The four seasons are
symbolized by flowers – winter: plum
blossom; spring: peony; summer: lotus or
orchid and autumn: chrysanthemum.
Vase with Flowers of the Four Seasons. This is

an example of "famille rose" porcelain with
overlain enamels. c.1750. Image by Walters Art
Museum ➚ available under a Creative
Commons License ➚
Stone 石 shí
S tones represent permanence and stability so it is not surprising that they
symbolize longevity. A picture showing a rocky promontory over sea is often an
allusion to the Isles of the Blessed, home to the immortals, in the East.
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cliff. From ancient times special stones,

perhaps because of their shape, were
considered sacred and received sacrifices for
life-giving rain. Stones placed in front of
buildings were placed to block the path of
evil spirits, sometimes these stones
originated from the sacred mountain
Taishan and some have the inscription 石
敢挡 shí gǎn dǎng ‘stone obstructs’. Perhaps
because of this ancient belief many official
buildings have stone lions in front of them.
Stone figures line the important Spirit Way
to the burial sites of eminent people.
The Chinese love for appreciating exotic
shapes is most evident in gardens where
heavily pitted rocks (often limestone) play
an important part in the design. A scholar would have a rock (怪石 guài shí)
‘strange stone’ on their desk of a pitted, strange and complex form to act as a
source of contemplation. The rock should be graceful, slim and elegant in shape.
Sun 日 rì
T he sun, as might be expected, plays an
important part in Chinese culture. It is the
epitome of ‘yang’ (and in this regard is also
called 太阳 tài yang) representing: light, heat,
vitality, Spring and East (where the sun rises).
It also stand for the Emperor and so a solar
eclipse would signify that the Empress (the
moon) is too powerful, obscuring the Emperor's
light. A picture of the sun and a phoenix
together represents the Emperor and Empress
Sun emblem of the Guomingang. Image
and so expresses the wish for a happy marriage.
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would need scaring off to restore the light. So temples would mark an eclipse with
the ringing of bells. Traditionally a three-legged raven (or toad or cockerel) is said
to live in the sun and there is the legend of the divine archer Houyi shooting down
nine of the ten suns that threatened to burn up the Earth. Even in recent years
Mao Zedong was compared to the sun, Mao badges were round to represent ‘The
red sun in our hearts’ and the Chinese patriotic song is called ‘the East is red, the
sun ascends’.
The sun's apparent movement along the ecliptic divides the year into 24 solar
terms (jieqi) which mark out the course of the agricultural or 岁 suì calendar.
Swastika 卐 wàn
T he swastika is a Buddhist good luck
symbol. Because Nazi Germany used it as
their emblem its image has been severely
tainted even though the European usage
appears to have developed
independently. The swastika is an ancient
symbol that came to China from India
where it was the monogram of Vishnu
and Shiva, it means ‘so be it’ in Sanskrit.
It is said to symbolize the motion of
blood in Buddha's heart. In China it is
more associated with a wish for long life
rather than good luck, it represents the
The two forms of swastika combined to give a
lattice window design motif. endless turning of the wheel of life
through multiple reincarnations. It is
equally propitious in its mirror image 卍 form. It frequently occurs in the borders
of decorative artwork and in particular wooden lattice window designs. Its four-
fold symmetry made it an appropriate early representation for 方 fāng ‘square’.
In China it is also represented by 万 wàn which means 10,000 or more vaguely
‘countless; myriad; infinite’; making it appropriate as a symbol for plenty,
multiplicity and immortality.
21 of 27 4/5/19, 4:44 PM
How well do you know China?

Which province is known by the
shortened name 'Lu'?
Tai Ji 太极 tàijí <Select>
Go to our quizzes page for a great
T he notion of yin and yang (click for range of quizzes about everything Chinese
full description) swirling and enclosing

each other was promoted by the Neo-
Confucianist Zhu Xi (1130-1200). There is
a belief that at birth the placenta is marked
by the 'S' motif of the taiji . The taiji is a
universal emblem of the duality of all
things and the absence of absolutes - yin
can not exist without a little yang and
vice-versa. It also suggests the creation of
all things from the union of two opposites.
The Chinese characters 太极 means
literally ‘supreme ultimate’. However in
popular usage it is mostly associated with
the Tai Chi martial art.
It is a common talisman, particularly when surrounded by the eight trigrams 八
卦 bā guà that will keep evil at bay.
Thunder 雷 léi
A ncient superstitions about thunder and lightning go back thousands of years.
Throughout the world, thunder was regarded as a sign of the wrath of the gods.
The character for thunder is made up of ‘rain’ over ‘field’ which symbolizes the
importance of storms to water the crops. Lightning is 电 diàn, a simplified
representation of the old form 電, which is rain over a streak of lightning,
Lightning is used in lots of characters concerning electricity for example 电视
diàn shì ‘television’; 电脑 diàn nǎo ‘computer’ and 电话 diàn huà ‘telephone’.
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Buddhism as
lightning
symbolizes
Buddha's
doctrine and is
therefore its
chief weapon
against evil.
Master Thunder (Lei Gong), 1542. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image by
Dorothy Graham Bennett ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚
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大发雷霆 Dà fā léi tíng
Develop large thunderstorm
Fly into a furious rage
To spit nails
雷声大,雨点小 Léi shēng dà, yǔ diǎn xiǎo

Thunder is loud but little rain falls
Overly portentous. Reality does not match expectations
Empty vessels make the most noise
Wave 波浪 bō làng
T he wave design is a common emblem in pictures and on the hem of garments.

Water in regular waves represents the sea. The tide 潮 cháo made up of waves
sounds the same as 朝 cháo which means ‘Imperial court’ and so waves may
symbolize a wish for a job in the Imperial service. A picture of a large and small
fish 鱼 yú near the coast represents a wish for many (裕 yù) children to achieve
high office.
无风不起浪 Wú fēng bù qǐ làng
No wind, no waves
There must have been signs that it was going to happen
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Wine 酒浆 jiǔ jiāng

U p until
modern times
‘Chinese wine’
was a distilled
spirit from
fermented
sorghum or rice,
much stronger
than wine and
not made from
grapes and
strictly speaking
an ‘ale’. Grape
wine 葡萄酒
pú tao jiǔ was
not considered
particularly
palatable. It is
only been in
recent years
that grape-vines
have been
cultivated and
This extraordinary Chinese porcelain wine jar was made at the Jingdezhen wine produced
[Ching-te Chen] kilns during the reign of the Jiajing [Chia-ching] emperor
in China.
(1522-1566). Its body is white porcelain with blue underglaze decoration. To
this, potters added an additional layer of colored enamels, resulting in this The character
bright, festive design of golden carp and lotuses. This design and its associations
with both fertility and good fortune suggest that this jar was made for a young,
酒 jiǔ shows a
affluent couple to celebrate their marriage. Like many of the Asian objects picture of an
acquired by Henry Walters, this jar is a world-renowned treasure. It is one of amphora
only nine known jars of this type in museum collections worldwide. Among this
small group of similar objects, this jar is widely held to be one of the most shaped vessel
beautifully painted and well preserved. c.1540. Image by Walters Art Museum for distilling
25 of 27 4/5/19, 4:44 PM
radical.
Shaoxing, Zhejiang and Maotai (Moutai ), Guizhou are noted centers for
traditional wine production. Drink was very much a social activity and carried out
in moderation, often in the form of a series of toasts at meals. Although being
tipsy was considered OK, drunkenness was a severe loss of face and was rarely
seen. Alcohol was never a part of religious ritual as it is in Christianity.
酒肉朋友 Jiǔ ròu péng yǒu

Friends only for the food and drink
Cupboard love
Fair weather friends
福 fú good fortune; happiness; luck; blessing

Made up of [礻 shì spirit; altar radical 113, 口 kǒu mouth radical 30, 田
tián field radical 102]
Origin
An auspicious offering for fields producing a large harvest of food
Full information for 福
Chinese characters…
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C itation information for this page : Chinasage, 'Chinese Symbolism of natural
elements', last updated 25 Jan 2018, Web, http://www.chinasage.info
/symbols/nature.htm.
Source references used for this page: Book : A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols:… pp. 17, 35, 61-63, 66-68,
79-80, 89-90, 105-106, 137, 140, 149, 153-154, 183, 193-195, 210-211, 230, 245-246, 260-261, 277-283,
286-287, 290, 311, 315-316; ¤ Book : China : Eyewitness Travel: Dorling… p. 610-619; ¤ Book : Chinese
Characteristics: Arthur… p. 76; ¤ Book : Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs:… pp. 5, 99, 171, 179-183, 205,
221, 234-237, 245, 278-281, 294, 319-320, 374-382, 385-387, 396-398; ¤ Book : Nine Dragon Screen: The
China… ➚ p. 1-28; ¤ Book : Symbolism in Chinese art: Walter… ➚ p. 3; ¤ Book : Symbols and Rebuses in
Chinese… ➚ pp. 10, 23-24, 39-40, 44-45, 78, 81, 99-101, 131-133, 137, 145-146, 159, 168, 176, 181,
188-189; ¤ Book : Symbols of China: Feng Jicai:… p. 60; ¤ Book : The Genius of China: Robert Temple:… p.
84-87; ¤ Book : The Manners and Customs of the… p. 3; ¤ Book : To Change China: Jonathan Spence:… p.
32; ¤ Book Vol 1 Fun with Chinese Characters:… pp. 16, 45, 99, 103, 106, 123; ¤ Book Vol 1 Social life of the
Chinese:… p. 42; ¤ Book Vol 1 The Shorter Science and Civilization… p. 160-161; ¤ Book Vol 135 China
Now: Society for… ➚ p. 30-31; ¤ Chinese Charms -- Hidden Meaning of Symbols ➚ ; ¤ Hidden Meanings:
Symbolism in Chinese Art ➚ ; ¤ symHair (books) ➚ ; ¤ symHair (chinadaily) ➚ ; ¤ symHair
(chinaheritagequarterly) ➚ ; ¤ symHair (metafilter) ➚ ; ¤ symLacquer (wikipedia) ➚ ; ¤ symSwastika
(porchlight) ➚ ; ¤ symSwastika (wikipedia) ➚
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Chinese Symbolism of natural elements https://www.chinasage.info/symbols/nature.htm#XLXLSymSwa...

Chinasage China Culture Language History P.R.C. Search

Nature symbolism in Chinese art

belief that the spirit of a tiger goes back

and supernatural power. However a red

China National Peking Opera Company

villainous character with white make-up and a

Cinnabar 丹砂 dān shā

C innabar is an orange-red mineral of mercury

Clouds are considered the

W e have divided up the large number of art symbols

Gall Bladder 胆 dǎn

The names of the acu-moxa locations of the gall bladder channel

P eople's hair ( 头 发 tóu fà

毛 骨悚然 Maó gǔ sǒng rán

人 心 不 足 蛇吞象 Rén xīn bù zú shé tūn xiàng

心甘情愿 Xīn gān qíng yuàn

心 花怒放 Xīn huā nù fàng

Woodcut illustration fromShenti sancai tuhui

Cracked ice design

抛砖引 玉 Pāo zhuān yǐn yù

Jade carving of Buddhist Goddess of conversation by making a silly remark

香消玉损 Xiāng xiāo yù sǔn

Meander 廻纹 huí wén

T he meander pattern is used as a very common decorative edge on all types of

Moon Festival that the moon has

月 到 中 秋 分 外 明, 每 逢佳节倍思 亲 Yuè dào zhōng qiū fèn

There's no place like home

月下老人 Yuè xià laǒ rén

completed. Mao Zedong used this tale as a

千山万水 Qiān shān wàn shuǐ

山 明 水秀 Shān míng shuǐ xiù

有 眼 不 识泰 山 Yǒu yǎn bù shí tài shān

愚公移山 Yú gōng yí shān

Cloudy Mountain by Xi Gang, 1785.

Flowers & fruit , General Nature and

hidden beauty or talent. It is one of

consultations using oracle

泥 人 怕 雨 ,谎 言 怕 理 Ní rén pà yǔ, huǎng yán pà lǐ

Seasons 岁 时 suì shí

the reason that the early part of the Zhou

Vase with Flowers of the Four Seasons. This is

cliff. From ancient times special stones,

How well do you know China?

Go to our quizzes page for a great

full description) swirling and enclosing

雷 声 大,雨 点 小 Léi shēng dà, yǔ diǎn xiǎo

T he wave design is a common emblem in pictures and on the hem of garments.

Wine 酒浆 jiǔ jiāng

酒肉朋友 Jiǔ ròu péng yǒu

福 fú good fortune; happiness; luck; blessing

P lease feel free to contact us about anything about the Chinasage

Culture Index - Festivals - New Year - Calendar 2018 - Customs -

S-ar putea să vă placă și

P eople's hair ( 头发 tóu fà

毛骨悚然 Maó gǔ sǒng rán

人心不足蛇吞象 Rén xīn bù zú shé tūn xiàng

心花怒放 Xīn huā nù fàng

抛砖引玉 Pāo zhuān yǐn yù

月到中秋分外明, 每逢佳节倍思亲 Yuè dào zhōng qiū fèn

山明水秀 Shān míng shuǐ xiù

有眼不识泰山 Yǒu yǎn bù shí tài shān

泥人怕雨 ,谎言怕理 Ní rén pà yǔ, huǎng yán pà lǐ

Seasons 岁时 suì shí

雷声大,雨点小 Léi shēng dà, yǔ diǎn xiǎo