Orchids Love and Orchid Qualities
“Living together with virtuous people is like going into a hall of fragrant plants; for a while you do not notice the fragrance, but it gradually has an influence on you. The room may be far away but your body is always near, so you can garland yourself (with the fragrant plants) and thus not lose (the good influence). A garland of orchids can supply the body with this influence, and it is not necessary to go into the room.”
Chinese Orchids Painting
As one of the four gentlemen of the year as well as plum, bamboo and chrysanthemums, I love orchids most for the following four reasons.
One: Fragrance
Chinese orchid was regarded as the king fragrance of all flowers, due to its fragrance not much, if any; faintly discernible; and intangible vague seeping into your heart. A substance light sweet-smell released into the air is a refreshment and enlightenment to him. Orchids were used for many medicinal purposes in ancient times. They were thought to have healing properties and the ability to ward off diseases. The fragrance of other flowers can not be compared to its exotic fragrance.
Two: Posture
The elegant posture of the orchid’s leaves is the inspirations of men of letters. Its soft and straight ones tend to be graceful; the askew and soft ones tend to be facile and graceful; the askew but straight ones have the quality of both pliability and hardness; only the straight ones are bold and vigorous. It is no wonder that some poet praised those colorful and charming orchids that appreciation the leaves of orchids were better than looking the whole orchid. The shapes and forms are varied with different postures and appearances: some like lotus, some like plum, some like chrysanthemums, some like peony, some others like pine and bamboo. Nothing lay outside the charming leaves beyond counting, which seems to gather the souls of all the flowers just the reduction epitome of all kinds of flowers.
Three: Flavor or Taste
The taste of orchid looks elegant and refined which is the meaning and essence of appreciation. The lotus-like petals and plum-like petals with great dignity seem to be aristocratic; the narcissus-like petals show the elegant and urbane beauty of the orchid; the exotic and rare ones are of supernatural workmanship just like the autumn chrysanthemum; those like peony marked by elegance and leisure. The charming and graceful can inspire your imagination and worth seeing one hundred times.
Four: Color
Modern orchids tend to be more colorful. Verdant green and pure white symbolize the purity and such gorgeousness is no longer the beauty that can bee seen on the land of the living, but something transcendent; golden yellow, red and purple show elegance, majesty and auspicious meaning. Although with various colors, all of them show the purity essence of orchids, plain and elegant, plain but flamboyant. All of them are great appeal to people, which suits both refined and popular Tastes, especially men of letters. Men of letters’ enjoyment and appreciation towards orchids form the orchid culture with a long history behind it. Orchids are the spiritual meat and drink to them. While, among all of the appreciations towards orchids, I prefer Dong Biwu’s comment on orchids. “Prefect combination of fragrance, color, posture and taste” vividly depicted the essence of orchids.
