Colors and Their Meanings in Chinese Culture

Have you ever wonder what are the meanings of colors? Well in China, there are meanings to every color. The traditions and culture of the Chinese people are the subjects of so many studies and understanding by a lot of other people outside their culture because it is amusing. Chinese culture and practices continuously create curiosity among the outside observer because they live their traditions in a day to day basis.

That is why It is very interesting to take a look at Chinese culture specially their choice of color and tits meanings.

If you visited a Chinese restaurant or watched a Chinese movie, chances are you might have noticed the color red, yellow and green which fill the atmosphere. You might have noticed that red is their favorite color too.

The objective of this article is to take a look at how Chinese people choose the color appropriate for their activities and symbols. So come and join me in understanding colors and their meanings in Chinese culture.

Red -- Have you ever wonder why Chinese people like the red color very much? China was once called “The Red China” referring to the Communist China.Chinese people like the red color very much. At festivals or great ceremonies, they prefer to wear red clothing as well.

The color red signifies happiness and good luck.

• Red clothes are preferred when you celebrate your birthday. Brand new clothes are worn and they should be red in color, and this is also done during New years celebration. Chinese celebrates grand birthday on certain age only.
• Red cheongsam is a woman's dress with distinctive Chinese features and enjoys a growing popularity in world of fashion -- in international fashion as well. Chinese people tend to wear red colored dresses to add in a festive mood in any festivities. The cheongsam is a dress with distinctive Chinese features and is buttoned on the right side with a loose chest, a fitting waist to enhance the shape of a woman.. the cheongsam perfectly fits the beautiful figure of females.

Red Chinese Knot

• Red Chinese knot are made up of a single rope and it is named by its meaning and its form. It is a very elegant red knot hang everywhere in Chinese homes and establishments.This is a form of ancient weaving and Chinese people use this as a form of decorations since Han Dynasty. Knot in Chinese means marriage, warmth, reunion, luck, harmony and also love. Red Chinese knot must should be made from a single red rope symbolizing the unending life. It is also bent, tied and crafted from a single red rope, to express the endless circle of a happy life.

Red Lantern

• Red Lantern is found everywhere, in the house in the streets as well. They are hang to symbolizes brightness, harmony, happiness and good luck as well. It is supposed to warm the house, send away evil spirits and create an atmosphere of harmony.

Red Couplet

• Pasting red spring couplet has been an important part of the Chinese New Year's celebration since ancient times. On lunar New Year's Eve, families make it a point to decorate their gates or apartment door-frames with the customary couplets. The couplet which is written on two strips of red paper -- is composed of two (two) poetic sentences which match and rhyme with each other to express hopes for the coming "NEW YEAR". The red couplets, along with the New Year paintings on the door, serve as beautiful decorations as well as protective shield for evil spirits.

Red Paper cut

• The "Paper-cut art" is a handcraft created in various patterns like animals or flowers and it is pasted on the window and other side of the house to create festivities. This is mainly during New Year.

Red Firecracker

• Chinese people used red firecrackers during special festivities like New year. Red firecrackers are believed to bring good luck and happiness plus it ward off evil spirits as well.

Red Pocker or Red Envelope Which Contains Good Luck Money

• The Chinese people have a tradition of giving money to children or unmarried children, and they give it with the “red envelope” containing the money and it is also called a good luck money. This money or red envelope is given during special occasions. This simply means the elder people give the younger ones -- the children money and they put it in red envelope while the younger children will also greet the elder ones with this greetings --Gong xi fa cai, hong bao na lai!" and this simply means "Wish you a Prosperous New Year and please give me a red envelope!"

Red is the color used during weddings

• The carpets, the invitation, double Happiness characters ahould be in red color . The bed of the newly wed is also colored red including the quilts as well as the decorations during wedding should all be red. Red signifies blessings and good luck to the couple who are going to get married.

You can also found the Color Red in their flag, ancient palaces (walls) the walls of ancient palaces, the national flag -- Chinese knot -- lantern -- couplet -- clothings and other things discussed here. Red signifies reunion, health, happiness, harmony, peace plus prosperity.

GREEN

• The green signifies prosperity and health, plus harmony. Green hats signifies cheating behavior as well

Black is used in daily wear but it also signifies mourning like white. A black ribbon is put at the top of deceased picture.

Blue or dark blue is also used or sadder occasions like death and mourning.

Yellow and Gold

• Yellow is a good luck color -- as it is sometimes paired with red if there is no gold color Yellow was also the color of the robes and attire of the emperors. I don’t know if there is something about the term “Yellow race”. Yellow is a mourning color for Chinese Buddhists -- specially deceased monks.

White or Silver

• White for Chinese tradition signifies mourning and sadness. It means death as contrasted to the meaning of white in the western world which is purity. White can also be interchanged with silver as a symbol of mourning. They dressed in white when they are in mourning.

Red and yellow plus green are always use for festivities and for decorating as well. In this article, we will try to take a look at what does certain color means to Chinese.

One interesting fact is that there is no exactly explanation why Chinese prefer green and red color but according to some studies, if you combine red and green, the product is yellow and yellow is a nice color for Chinese.

Sources:

Omni Research Journal

The Color of China