Chinese by Ann Lin
Translated by Holly Zhou
Featured image: Four Magpies as Harbingers of Spring, anonymous,
Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368). Pictures courtesy of The National Palace Museum.
A harsh winter causes most plants to wither and fade, but plum blossoms can withstand the cold. They bloom humbly during
the night, signalling to dormant flowers that spring is right around the corner.
Chinese poets have long adored the loftiness, perseverance, purity, and courage of plum blossoms. Literati who refuse to blindly chase fortune and fame often compare themselves to plum blossoms that endure adversity. In traditional Chinese culture, plum blossoms’ four stages of growth represent four noble virtues: Budding represents vitality, blooming represents prosperity, bearing fruit represents harmony, and maturity represents steadfastness.
As the bird-and-flower genre of painting (hua niao hua) burgeoned in China during the 10th century, plum blossoms became known as one of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers and along with the orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, as the Four Plants of Virtue. The Three Friends of Winter, plum, pine, and bamboo, are popular in Chinese works of art because……
