Page 136 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

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The elemental spirits (i.e. the ‘Five Ancients’), who appeared
over the house when Confucius was being born. On the left,
two dragons, symbolising the male, generative forces in nature

‘Songs of the Fifth Night-watch’ (wu-geng ge), i.e. of the fifth double-hour of the
night, are love-songs corresponding to the European albas. The ‘Five Thunders’ is a
Taoist magic spell. ‘Five Bushels of Rice’ (wu-dou-mi) is the name of an early Taoist
sect (3rd century AD). Its founder, Zhang Lu, always asked for payment in this form
when he had healed a spirit.

Flowers

hua

The ‘Flowers of the Four Seasons’ are: for spring, the iris or the magnolia; for
summer, the peony and the lotus; for autumn, the chrysanthemum; and for
winter, the plum and the bamboo. There are also various lists of ‘flowers of the
twelve months’. These lists vary much from one to another, but there are some common
factors: thus, all lists have the apricot in the 2nd month (roughly corresponding to
our late March), peach-blossom in the 3rd month, lotus in the 6th, cinnamon
blossom in the 8th, and chrysanthemum in the 9th. A picture showing an orchid (yu-
lan), a wild apple (hai-tang), a peony (mu-dan) and a cinnamon blossom (gui-hua) is a
symbolical way of saying: ‘In the hall (tang) of jade (yu) reign riches (fu – another word
for peony) and honour (gui).’ One may thus wish a friend well.