Page 392 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

W

Walnut
W
Walnut

hu tao

The literal meaning of hu tao is ‘Hun peach’, where ‘Hun’ is an umbrella word covering
all of the peoples and tribes who live north and west of the Middle Kingdom. Some
sources say that the walnut did not reach China till the 4th century AD, though it is
attested in Japan at a much earlier date.
Hu-tao is also shorthand for the saying ‘Mr. Qin-hu flirts (tao) with his own wife.’
This is a reference to an old story which still provides a plot for stage performances: after
many years of absence, a man comes home and sees a young woman picking mulberry
leaves for the silkworms outside his house; he begins to flirt with her. When they go
indoors they discover that they are married – to each other. In some versions, the woman
is made to commit suicide out of shame. Thus. the walnut became a symbol for ‘flirt’.
WashWash

xi

In imperial China, it was accepted that one should have a really good wash once every
five days; and children should be washed as often by their parents. The hands should be
washed five times a day with water. Before an audience with the Emperor, one had
to have a bath. A new-born child was washed on the third day after birth. Clothes were
often washed in a pool or river, laid on a stone and beaten with a sort of mallet. This
mallet was sometimes compared to the penis.