Flowers in Chinese Culture

Flowers are a recurring theme in Chinese culture. Found in art and poetry, painted onto silk, carved into furniture, stitched into textiles, each bloom has its own meaning and symbolism. In the photograph below, a wall is papered with hand-painted silk wallpaper. The detail in the paintings, depicting flowers, birds and butterflies, is absolutely exquisite.

The symbolism of a flower is often based on its pronunciation’s similarity to another word. For example, lilies are popular at weddings as the word for ‘lily’ sounds like part of a famous proverb describing a ‘happy union for one hundred years’.

Orchids are another popular flower at Chinese weddings, as they symbolise love, wealth and fortune. They are also emblematic of fertility. Orchids have been loved by Chinese scholars since ancient times, and represent integrity, nobility and friendship, all considered the virtues of a perfectly cultured gentleman. The philosopher Confucius compared the orchid to a virtuous man.

Flowers represent each of the seasons, with iris and magnolia for spring, peony and lotus for summer, chrysanthemum for autumn and plum for winter. Plum blossom represents the value of endurance – as a famous traditional poem says: “the fragrance of plum blossom comes from bitterness and coldness.”

The daffodil or narcissus is native to China and is known as ‘the water goddess.’ The flower is said to have the ability to rout out evil spirits. In Feng Shui, flowers are used to bring good fortune and success in the home. Healthy flowering plants manifest good Chi (or energy). It’s said that as the flower blooms, so does the intellect and spirit. Chrysanthemums would be an excellent gift when visiting a home (but not white ones, as they represent death) and are used by Buddhists as offerings on the altars. They are thought to bring powerful Yang energy and attract good luck to a house.