Fruits and Vegetables still live in Chinese Paintings
Just as the Chinese proverb goes “bread is the stall of life,” fruits and vegetables are also the favorite of the painters. Different fruits and vegetables have different deep meanings in Chinese geomancy.
Peaches are known inChinanot only as a popular fruit, but also for the many cultural traditions, such as the Peaches of Immortality. Peach blossoms are highly prized in Chinese culture. The ancient Chinese believed the peach to possess more vitality than any other tree because their blossoms appear before leaves sprout. The peach tree is also a tremendous Chinese symbol for longevity. It is said that the Peach plant of immortality being located in the KunLun Mountains would produce the fruit only once every 3,000 years. When this happened, the Eight Immortals would gather and eat of the magic fruit, assuring their immortality. Therefore, the peach painting would be bestowed upon elderly persons.
Chinese Maggies and Peach Painting
Persimmon
Although persimmon is a very common kind fruit in the north of China, it is more common to draw Chinese paintings combining persimmon with other fruits. In terms of this, different fruits have different auspicious meanings in Chinese geomancy. Specifically, when depicted with lily's bulb and tangerine, it symbolizes good fortune and great profit. Combining persimmon with watermelon, grape, and perch means good news arrives. The combination of five persimmons and crabapple blossoms conveys a wish of five generations under one roof.
Chinese Mandarin Orange
The mandarin orange is well known in China, both for the flavor and the golden yellow shape. The golden color of the mandarin orange represents the wealth and luck which are greatly appreciated by many Chinese people. The presentation of oranges in Chinese New Year promises the best wish for abundant and prosperous new start.
Chinese Loquat
Among the first cultivated fruit inAsia, the loquat is steeped in ancient Chinese mythology. For many years only the Chinese royalty was allowed to eat the fruit, as it was thought that loquat fruit falling into the rivers gave the koi, or carp, the strength and desire to swim against current and up waterfalls and be turned into mythical dragons. For this reason, people consider loquat as an auspicious thing representing happy and blithe life.
