Chinese Auspicious Symbols: What Peonies, Koi and Cranes Mean

Chinese art is full of auspicious symbols (吉祥图案): flowers, animals and objects chosen not only for beauty but for the good wishes they carry. Many work through wordplay, because the name of the object sounds like a lucky word. Once you know a few, embroidery, porcelain and silk start to read like messages.

Flowers and plants

• Peony (牡丹): the “king of flowers”, grown in imperial gardens since the Sui and Tang dynasties. It stands for wealth, honour and high rank.
• Lotus (荷花): rising clean from muddy water, it symbolises purity and integrity, and is important in Buddhist art.
• Plum blossom (梅花): flowering in late winter, it represents resilience and hope.
• Bamboo (竹): upright and hollow, a symbol of integrity and humility. With pine and plum it forms the “Three Friends of Winter”.
• Orchid and chrysanthemum: with plum and bamboo they make the “Four Gentlemen”, the classic subjects of scholar painting.

Animals and birds

• Koi and goldfish (鱼): the word for fish sounds like the word for surplus, so fish mean abundance. Koi swimming upstream also suggest perseverance, and a pair of fish suggests a happy marriage.
• Crane (鹤): one of the strongest symbols of longevity, often shown with pine trees.
• Magpie (喜鹊): the bird of joy; a magpie on a plum branch wishes happiness to come.
• Mandarin ducks (鸳鸯): always shown in pairs, they stand for faithful love.
• Butterfly (蝶): linked to joy and, through wordplay, to long life.
• Horse (马): speed and success, as in the saying “success upon the horse's arrival”.

Landscapes

Mountains and water together (山水) represent balance and stability. Landscape pieces are often chosen for studies and offices, where they suggest a calm, steady mind.

Choosing symbols as gifts

• Weddings: paired koi, mandarin ducks or peonies.
• Birthdays for elders: cranes, pines or peaches for longevity.
• New home or business: koi, peonies or landscapes for prosperity and stability.
• Graduation or new job: horses or bamboo for success and integrity.

You will find these motifs across our Silk Embroidery, Scarves and Sino Porcelain collections. To learn more about how these images are stitched, read our guide to Su embroidery.