Chinese culture
Chinese culture () is one of the world's oldest cultures, originating thousands of years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia and is extremely diverse and varying, with customs and traditions varying grea ...
attaches certain values to
color
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are assoc ...
s, like which colors are considered auspicious () or inauspicious (). The Chinese word for "color" is ''yánsè'' (). In
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning
"literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning
"literar ...
, the character ''sè'' () more accurately meant "color in the face", or "emotion". It was generally used alone and often implied sexual desire or desirability. During the
Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...
, the word ''yánsè'' came to mean all color. A Chinese idiom which is used to describe many colors, ''Wǔyánliùsè'' (五顏六色), can also mean colors in general.
Theory of the Five Elements (Wuxing 五行)
In traditional Chinese art and culture, black, red, qing () (
a conflation of the idea of green and blue), white and yellow are viewed as standard colors. These colors correspond to the five elements (
五行) of water, fire, wood, metal and earth, taught in traditional Chinese physics. Throughout the Shang, Tang, Zhou and Qin dynasties, China's emperors used the ''
Theory of the Five Elements'' to select colors. Other colours were considered by
Confucius
Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...
as 'inferior'.
Yellow
![A Seated Portrait of Ming Emperor Taizu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/A_Seated_Portrait_of_Ming_Emperor_Taizu.jpg)
Yellow of a
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
en hue, corresponding with earth, is considered the most beautiful and prestigious color.
The Chinese saying ''Yellow generates Yin and Yang'' implies that yellow is the center of everything. Associated with but ranked above brown, yellow signifies neutrality and good luck. Yellow is sometimes paired with red in place of gold.
The
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Ha ...
is the cradle of Chinese civilisation. Yellow was the emperor's color in Imperial China and is held as the symbolic color of the five legendary emperors of ancient China, such as the
Yellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor, also known as the Yellow Thearch or by his Chinese name Huangdi (), is a deity ('' shen'') in Chinese religion, one of the legendary Chinese sovereigns and culture heroes included among the mytho-historical Three Soverei ...
. The
Yellow Dragon
The Yellow Dragon ( is the zoomorphic incarnation of the Yellow Emperor of the center of the universe in Chinese religion and mythology.
The Yellow Emperor or Yellow Deity was conceived by Fubao, who became pregnant after seeing a yellow ra ...
is the zoomorphic incarnation of the Yellow Emperor of the centre of the universe in Chinese religion and mythology. The
Flag of the Qing dynasty
The flag of the Qing dynasty was an emblem adopted in the late 19th century featuring the Azure Dragon on a plain yellow field with the red flaming pearl in the upper left corner. It became the first national flag of China and is usually referr ...
featured golden yellow as the background. The
Plain Yellow Banner and the
Bordered Yellow Banner
The Bordered Yellow Banner () was one of the Eight Banners of Manchu military and society during the Later Jin and Qing dynasty of China. The Bordered Yellow Banner was one of three "upper" banner armies under the direct command of the emperor ...
were two of the upper three banners of
Later Jin and
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...
.
Yellow often decorates royal palaces, altars and temples, and the color was used in the
dragon robe
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
s and attire of the emperors.
It was a rare honour to receive the
imperial yellow jacket
The imperial yellow jacket () was a symbol of high honour during China's Qing dynasty. As yellow was a forbidden color, representing the Emperor, the jacket was given only to high-ranking officials and to the Emperor's body guards.
Wearing the ja ...
.
Yellow also represents freedom from worldly cares and is thus esteemed in Buddhism. Monks' garments are yellow, as are elements of Buddhist temples. Yellow is also used as a mourning color for Chinese Buddhists.
Yellow is also symbolic of heroism, as opposed to the Western association of the color with cowardice.
File:Ma Yuan - Water Album - The Yellow River Breaches its Course.jpg, ''The Yellow River Breaches its Course'' by Ma Yuan (1160–1225), Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
File:Flag_of_China_(1889–1912).svg, Flag of China 1889–1912 featuring yellow
File:Flickr - archer10 (Dennis) - China-6184.jpg, Yellow tiles and figures on the roof the Hall of Supreme Harmony
The Hall of Supreme Harmony (; Manchu: ; Möllendorff: ''amba hūwaliyambure deyen'') is the largest hall within the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. It is located at its central axis, behind the Gate of Supreme Harmony. Built above three level ...
in the Forbidden City
File:Imperial Yellow Peking Glass Vase.jpg, A Peking glass vase in Imperial Yellow, a shade of yellow so named for the banner of the Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...
Black
![Bagua Zhao Huiqian](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Bagua_Zhao_Huiqian.jpg)
Black, corresponding to water, is a neutral color. The ''
I Ching'', or ''Book of Changes'', regards black as Heaven's color. The saying "heaven and earth of black" was rooted in the observation that the northern sky was black for a long time. They believed Tian Di, or Heavenly Emperor, resided in the
North Star
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude tha ...
.
The
''Taiji'' symbol uses black and white to represent the unity of
yin and yang
Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and ya ...
. Ancient Chinese people regarded black as the king of colors and honored black more consistently than any other color.
Lao Zi
Laozi (), also known by numerous other names, was a semilegendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. Laozi ( zh, ) is a Chinese honorific, generally translated as "the Old Master". Traditional accounts say he was born as in the state of ...
said ''know the white, keep the black'' and the Dao school believes black is the color of the
Dao
Dao, Dão or DAO may refer to:
* Tao (Chinese: "The Way" 道), a philosophical concept
* Dao (Chinese sword) (刀), a type of Chinese sword
* Dao (Naga sword), a weapon and a tool of Naga people
People and language
* Yao people, a minority ethni ...
.
In modern China, black is used in daily clothing. Black, along with white, is associated with death and mourning and was formerly worn at funerals, but depends on the age of passing.
White
White, corresponding with metal, represents gold and symbolises brightness, purity, and fulfilment.
White is also the color of mourning. It is associated with death and is used predominantly in funerals in Chinese culture.
Ancient Chinese people wore white clothes and hats only when they mourned for the dead.
Red / Vermilion
Red or
vermilion
Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its corresponding color. It i ...
, corresponding with fire, symbolizes good fortune and joy.
Red is found everywhere during
Chinese New Year and other holiday celebrations and family gatherings. In addition to the new year, red has been used in Chinese weddings since ancient times, which can represent the traditional Chinese wedding color.
A
red envelope
In East and Southeast Asian cultures, a red envelope, red packet or red pocket () is a monetary gift given during holidays or for special occasions such as a wedding, a graduation, or the birth of a baby. Although the red envelope was populari ...
is a monetary gift which is given in Chinese society during holiday or special occasions. The red color of the packet symbolizes good luck. Red is strictly forbidden at
funerals as it is a traditionally symbolic color of happiness;
[see ] however, as the names of the dead were previously written in red, it may be considered offensive to use red ink for Chinese names in contexts other than official
seals.
In modern China, red remains a very popular color and is affiliated with and used by the
Chinese government
The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, m ...
.
File:Laisee.jpg, Contemporary red envelope
In East and Southeast Asian cultures, a red envelope, red packet or red pocket () is a monetary gift given during holidays or for special occasions such as a wedding, a graduation, or the birth of a baby. Although the red envelope was populari ...
s
File:Red paper lanterns, Shanghai, 2012.jpg, Red paper lantern
A paper lantern is a lantern made of thin, brightly colored paper. Paper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, as well as various methods of construction. In their simplest form, they are simply a paper bag with a candle placed inside, a ...
s for sale in Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
. The color red symbolizes luck and is believed to ward away evil
File:永福姜家.jpg, Chinese seal and red seal paste
File:Ciudad prohibida-Pekin-China5527.JPG, One of the red gates to the Forbidden City
Blue / Azure / Green
Generally blue or
azure and green is associated with health, prosperity, and harmony. The old term is ''qing''. Azure was used for the roof tiles of the
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven () is a complex of imperial religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for ...
as well as its ornate interior and a number of other structures to represent heaven. It is also the color of
jade as well as
celadon
''Celadon'' () is a term for pottery denoting both wares glazed in the jade green celadon color, also known as greenware or "green ware" (the term specialists now tend to use), and a type of transparent glaze, often with small cracks, that wa ...
that was developed to imitate it.
Separately, green
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
s are associated with
infidelity
Infidelity (synonyms include cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional and/or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, sexual jealousy, and ri ...
and used as an idiom for a
cuckold. This has caused uneasiness for Chinese
Catholic bishop
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders, ordained Minister (Catholic Church), minister who holds the fullness of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, sacrament of Holy orders in the Catholic Church, holy orders and is responsible ...
s, who in
ecclesiastical heraldry
Ecclesiastical heraldry refers to the use of heraldry within Christianity for dioceses, organisations and Christian clergy. Initially used to mark documents, ecclesiastical heraldry evolved as a system for identifying people and dioceses. ...
would normally have a green
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
above their arms. Chinese bishops have compromised by using a violet hat for their coat of arms. Sometimes this hat will have an indigo feather to further display their disdain for the color green.
File:Templeofheavenclose.jpg, Azure roof structure and name plaque of the Temple of Heaven
File:Jade Bi Ornament, Dragon designs, China - Warring States period, Western Han dynasty, 4th-2nd century BC.tiff, A Western Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a war ...
green jade ''Bi'' disk, with dragon designs
File:Porcelaine chinoise Guimet 241101.jpg, Green Longquan celadon
Longquan celadon (龍泉青瓷) is a type of green-glazed Chinese ceramic, known in the West as celadon or greenware, produced from about 950 to 1550. The kilns were mostly in Lishui prefecture in southwestern Zhejiang Province in the south of ...
from Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...
, Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
, 13th century
Intermediary colors
The five intermediary colors ( ) are formed as combinations of the five elemental colors. These are:
* "green": The intermediary color of the east, combination of central yellow and eastern blue
* "emerald-blue": The intermediary color of the west, combination of eastern blue and western white
* "vermilion-red": The intermediary color of the south, combination of western white and southern red
* "violet": The intermediary color of the north, combination of southern red and northern black
* "horse-brown": The intermediary color of the center, combination of northern black and central yellow
See also
*
Chinese art
Chinese art is visual art that originated in or is practiced in China, Greater China or by Chinese artists. Art created by Chinese residing outside of China can also be considered a part of Chinese art when it is based in or draws on Chinese ...
*
Culture of China
Chinese culture () is one of the world's oldest cultures, originating thousands of years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia and is extremely diverse and varying, with customs and traditions varying grea ...
*
Culture of the People's Republic of China
The culture of the People's Republic of China is a rich and varied blend of traditional Chinese culture with communism, communist and other international modern and post-modern influences. During the Cultural Revolution, an enormous number of cu ...
*
Fashion of China
*
Luck
Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. The naturalistic interpretation is that positive and negative events may happen at any time, both due to rand ...
*
Numbers in Chinese culture
Some numbers are believed by some to be auspicious or lucky (吉利, ) or inauspicious or unlucky (不吉, ) based on the Chinese word that the number sounds similar to. The numbers 3, 6, and 8 are generally considered to be lucky, while 4 is ...
*
Jing (Chinese opera)#Face design for information on color in Chinese opera face paintings
*
Wuxing
*
Four Symbols
The Four Symbols (, literally meaning "four images"), are four mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic, and viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions. These four creatures are also ref ...
*
Wufang Shangdi
The Wǔfāng Shàngdì ( "Five Regions' Highest Deities" or "Highest Deities of the Five Regions"), or simply Wǔdì ( "Five Deities") or Wǔshén ( "Five Gods") are, in Chinese canonical texts and common Chinese religion, the fivefold manifest ...
References
{{color topics
Chinese culture
Color in culture
Wu Xing