Below are part of the content of a book I have which is written by an Australian born Chinese Ms Vivien Sung. I'm just a copycat, but would like to share a bit with you all here, if you are interested, try to google this link.
Peony
Esteemed as one of the most exquisite flowers, the peony, mu dan, is a symbol for prorsperity and nobility, fu gui (in Chinese) 富貴means fortune, rich. The peony became popular in the imperial palace during the Sui and Tang dynasties (581 - 907), and thus earned the titles "King of flowers", hua wang 花王, and the "flower of wealth", rank, and honor , "fu gui hua" 富貴花. The yellow and purple varieties are considered to be of the highest value. The peony also symbolizes spring and is used as a metophor for female beauty.
Crane
A nearly extinct bird with long legs and a slender neck, the white crane is an ancient symbol for longevity because of its exceptionally long life span. In many legends the spirits ride on cranes, which are also said to bear the souls of the departed to the heavens. Believed to be immortal, cranes are frequently portrayed standing beneath a pine tree, a symbol of longevity, creating the auspicious combination "he shou song ling, meaning "life as long as that of the crane and the pine". An image of the crane paired with the tortoise, another creature blessed with a long life, wishes one "life as long as that of the crane and the tortoise", gui he qi ling. The crane standing on a rock in the incoming tide and looking at the sun signifies the wish that one may rise to high office, as the word "tide", chao, is pronounced the same as "royal court', chao.
Rooster (not chicken!)
A picture of a rooster and a cockscomb flower conveys a wish for advancement. This is because the rooster's crest, 冠 'guan', is a pun on a word meaning both an "official" and an "official's hat', 冠 'guan'. Combined witht he cockscomb flower, ji guan hua, if forms a double pun, creating the phrase "promotion upon promotion" guan shang jia guan. The rooster is also seen as an auspicious creature that can ward off evil spirits. A heavenly rooster lived in the peach tree on Dusu Mountain that was guarded by Shen Tu and Lu Lei. When the heavenly rooster crowed, all the other roosters on earth would follow suit, scaring the evil spirits away.
Bat (in Chinese the word bat pronounces the same as the word luck)
Five bats grouped together create the extremely auspicious and popular motif "five good fortunes", wu fu 五褔，"longevity, wealth, health, love of virtue and natural death". The phrase "may the five fortunes arrive at one's door", wu fu lin men 五褔臨門，is a common wish. When five bats are arranged in a circle around and the Chinese character for longevity, the result is a rebus for wu fu peng shou, an extremely powerful motif for good fortune and longevity. An image of five bats flying above a round box or container signifies "harmony and the five fortunes", wu fu he he, because "box" and "harmony" both sound the same, he.
There are a lot.. you may check whether you can find this book below, it is written in Chinese and English with a lots of photos and paintings.
