# List of Chinese symbols, designs, and art motifs

A list of Chinese symbols, designs, and art motifs, including decorative ornaments, patterns, auspicious symbols, and iconography elements, used in Chinese visual arts, sorted in different theme categories. Chinese symbols and motifs are more than decorative designs as they also hold symbolic but hidden meanings which have been used and understood by the Chinese people for thousand of years; they often influenced by nature, which include the fauna, the flora, landscape, and clouds. Chinese symbols often have auspicious meanings associated to them, such as good fortune, happiness, and also represent what would be considered as human virtues, such as filial piety, loyalty, and wisdom, and can even convey the desires or wishes of the Chinese people to experience the good things in life. There are also special symbols in Chinese arts, such as the qilin, and the Chinese dragon. According to Chinese beliefs, being surrounding by objects which are decorated with such auspicious symbols and motifs was and continues to be believed to increase the likelihood that those wishes would be fulfilled even in present-day. Chinese symbols and motifs are often found in Chinese decorative arts, porcelain ware, clothing, and personal adornments.

## Categorized sets or collections

* Chinese zodiac
* Eight Auspicious pattern (Bajixiang 八吉祥): The Eight Auspicious symbols of Buddhism
* Eight treasures (Babao 八寶)/ Eight precious things
* Flowers of the Four Seasons
* Four gentlemen
* Five Poisons
* Four symbols
* Twelve ornaments

## Natural landscape and cosmology
### Clouds, sun, stars, and moon

| Type | Name | Name | Images |
| Clouds | Xiangyun / auspicious clouds | Xiangyun / auspicious clouds | |
| Cosmic symbol | Yunjian (云肩)/ cloud collar motif | Persimon calyx | |

### Waves and sea

| Types | Name | Images |
| Composite | Haishuijiangya (海水江崖) | |
| Waves | Lang | |

## Animals
### Mammals

| Name | Name | Symbolism |
| Bats | Bat (fu) | Homophone for good fortune and symbol for longevity and happiness. |
| Bats | Bats flying amongst clouds | |
| Bats | Bats with Chinese character "wan"(Swastika) | "Ten thousand-fold wishes for good fortune and happiness.” |
| Bats | Five bats (wufu) | Wishes for the Five Blessings. |
| Bats | Red bats (hongfu) | Wide spread of good fortune |
| Deer | Lü | |
| Elephant | Xiang | |
| Horses | A horse | Speed and perseverance$^{:37}$ |
| Horses | Eight horses | The 8 horses of King Mu of Zhou$^{:37}$ |
| Tiger | Tiger | |

### Birds

Birds were symbols of literary refinement of the scholars with ability to fly towards the Heaven.
| Name | Name |
| Crane | A red-crowned crane |
| Magpie | Magpie |
| Mandarin duck | A mandarin duck |
| Mandarin duck | Pairs of mandarin duck |

### Fish

| Types | Types | Name | Symbolism |
| Fish | Single fish | Yu (鱼, lit. "fish") | Wealth and abundance |
| Fish | Single fish | Carp jumping at the Dragon Gate | Success in the civil service examinations$^{:63}$ |
| Fish | Double fish | Shuangyuwen (双鱼纹)/ Double fish/ twin fish: two horizontal fishes, each facing an opposite direction | Marital happiness; fertility and abundance |
| Fish | Double fish | Pairs of golden fish/ Golden fish (as part of the Eight Auspicious pattern): two fishes in the vertical planes, with their faces inward.$^{:84}$ | Good fortune;$^{:83}$ happiness; freedom from restraint |

### Insects

| Name | Name | Description | Symbolism | Images |
| Butterflies | Butterfly/ butterflies | A common motif used in Chinese embroidery and in Chinaware. | The butterfly is a symbol of joy and summer. It also implies long life, beauty and elegance. | |
| Butterflies | Pair of butterflies | Pair of butterflies embroidered on clothing strengthens the energy of love. | Love, especially young love; undying bond between lovers. | |
| Cicada | Cicada | Cicada motifs were used as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties to decorate bronze; both realistic and stylized cicada motif were used during these periods.$^{:89}$ Cicada motifs were also used in 17th and 18th when decorating bronze and cloisonne objects which imitating ancient bronzes.$^{:89}$ Jade carved in the shaped of a cicada used to be placed in the mouth the deceased before being buried. It was believed that cicada jade would prevent the decaying of a corpse or speed up the deceased's rebirth.$^{:89}$ | Symbol of immortality and resurrection (or regeneration$^{:89}$); it is also a symbol of happiness and eternal youth as cicada's longevity is longer than other insects. | Cicada jade used in burial practice, Han dynasty |

## Imaginary animals
### Chimeral animals

| Type | Type | Name | Symbolism |
| Chinese dragons | C-shaped dragon/ Ring-like dragon | Hong (rainbow-dragon) | |
| Chinese dragons | C-shaped dragon/ Ring-like dragon | Hongshan Jade dragon | |
| Chinese dragons | C-shaped dragon/ Ring-like dragon | Panlong | |
| Chinese dragons | C-shaped dragon/ Ring-like dragon | Shuanglong | |
| Chinese dragons | C-shaped dragon/ Ring-like dragon | Zhulong (Pig dragon) | |
| Chinese dragons | Curly and coiled dragon | Azure dragon | |
| Chinese dragons | Curly and coiled dragon | Kuilong (夔龙) | |
| Chinese dragons | Curly and coiled dragon | Panchi | |
| Chinese dragons | Curly and coiled dragon | Zisunlong (子孙龙) | |
| Chinese dragons | Long dragon or mang dragon: 3-clawed dragons/ 4-clawed dragons, also called mang (蟒, lit. "python")/ 5-clawed dragons | Zhenglong (正龙)/ sitting dragon | |
| Chinese dragons | Long dragon or mang dragon: 3-clawed dragons/ 4-clawed dragons, also called mang (蟒, lit. "python")/ 5-clawed dragons | Lilong (立龙)/ standing dragon | |
| Chinese dragons | Long dragon or mang dragon: 3-clawed dragons/ 4-clawed dragons, also called mang (蟒, lit. "python")/ 5-clawed dragons | Shenglong (升龙) / ascending dragon | |
| Chinese dragons | Long dragon or mang dragon: 3-clawed dragons/ 4-clawed dragons, also called mang (蟒, lit. "python")/ 5-clawed dragons | Jianglong (降龙)/ descending dragon | |
| Chinese dragons | Long dragon or mang dragon: 3-clawed dragons/ 4-clawed dragons, also called mang (蟒, lit. "python")/ 5-clawed dragons | Xinglong (行龙)/ travelling dragon | |
| Chinese dragons | Long dragon or mang dragon: 3-clawed dragons/ 4-clawed dragons, also called mang (蟒, lit. "python")/ 5-clawed dragons | Dragon playing with pearl | |
| Chinese dragons | Long dragon or mang dragon: 3-clawed dragons/ 4-clawed dragons, also called mang (蟒, lit. "python")/ 5-clawed dragons | Two dragon playing with flaming pearl/ pearl | |
| Chinese dragons | Other 4-clawed dragons | Douniu | |
| Chinese dragons | Other 4-clawed dragons | Feiyu | |
| Phoenix-like | Feng/huang | Single male (feng) or female phoenix (huang) | Symbol of the empress of China. |
| Phoenix-like | Fenghuang | Pair of phoenix (one male and one female) | Marital happiness |
| Qilin | Qilin | Male Qilin | Virtue and perfection |
| Qilin | Qilin | Female Qilin | Virtue and perfection |

### Bird-like creatures

| Types | Name | Name | Symbolism |
| Bird | Qingniao | | |
| Crow-like creatures | Jinwu (lit."golden crow")/ Yangwu | Erzuwu (二足金, lit."two-legged crow")/ Erzujinnian (二足金乌, lit "two-legged golden crow" | Sun |
| Crow-like creatures | Jinwu (lit."golden crow")/ Yangwu | Sanzuwu (三足烏, lit. "Three-legged crow ") | Sun |
| Crow-like creatures | Sanzuwu (三足烏, lit. "Three-legged crow ") | Sanzuwu (三足烏, lit. "Three-legged crow ") | |
| Pheasant-like creatures | Vermillion bird | | |

### Animal-like creatures

| Types | Name | Name | Symbolism |
| Fox-like creatures | Hulijing (狐狸精)/ Fox spirit | Nine-tail fox | |
| Goat (or sheep)-like creature | Taotie | | |
| Goat (or sheep)-like creature | Xiezhi | | Fairness, justice, and discrimination between the right and wrong. |
| Horse-like creatures | Haima | | |
| Lion-like creatures | Suan ni | | |
| Rabbit-like creature | Yu tu (玉兔, lit. 'Jade rabbit') / Yue tu (月兔, lit. 'Moon rabbit') | Jade rabbit in the moon disk | |
| Rabbit-like creature | Yu tu (玉兔, lit. 'Jade rabbit') / Yue tu (月兔, lit. 'Moon rabbit') | Jade rabbit pounding medicine/ elixir of life | |
| Rabbit-like creature | Yu tu (玉兔, lit. 'Jade rabbit') / Yue tu (月兔, lit. 'Moon rabbit') | Rabbits running amongst clouds | Moon. |
| Tiger-like creature | White tiger | | |
| Toad-like (or frog-like) creature | Moon toad | toad on a moon crescent | |
| Toad-like (or frog-like) creature | Moon toad | Dancing frog | |
| Toad-like (or frog-like) creature | Three-legged toad | Jin Chan (Golden toad) | |
| Toad-like (or frog-like) creature | Three-legged toad | Jin Chan (Golden toad) biting a coin/ Money toad | |
| Tortoise-like creature | Black tortoise | Xuanwu (玄武; also one of the Four Symbols) | |

### Composite

| Images | Images |
| Chinese dragon and fenghuang | |
| Dragon turtle | Dragon turtle with carrying a small turtle on its back |
| Five poisons | |
| Moon rabbit and moon toad | |

## Plants, flowers, and trees
### Flowers

| Name | Name | Symbol |
| Apricot | Apricot blossom | |
| Balsamine flower | | |
| Chrysanthemum | Chrysanthemum flower | Symbol of autumn and longevity |
| Hibiscus | | |
| Lotus | Lotus flower | |
| Narcissus | | |
| Osmanthus | Osmanthus blossom | |
| Peach | Peach blossom | Spring and happiness. |
| Peony | Peony flower | Associated with royalty. It is also called “flower of rank and honour"; honours means attaining high rank, an official position or high social status. |
| Plum | Plum flowers | Symbol of winter. |
| Pomegranate | Pomegranate flower | |
| Winter sweet | | |

### Trees and plants

| Name | Images |
| Bamboo | |
| Willow tree | |

### Composite

| Name | Description | Symbol | Images |
| Four gentlemen (si junzi) | Orchids, chrysanthemum, plum blossoms, and bamboo | Integrity and humility of the scholar. | |
| Three friends of winter | Plum blossoms, bamboo, and pine | Longevity and resistance to the elements. | |

## Fruits, vegetables, kernels, mushroom, and seeds
### Fruits

| Name | Name | Name | Symbolism |
| Gourd | Single gourd | | Fertility |
| Gourd | Double gourd | | Associated with deities and immortals |
| Peaches | Peach fruit | | Associated with the god Shoulao (god of longevity); symbol of a long life. |
| Peaches | Peaches of immortality | Peach of immortality | |
| Peaches | Peaches of immortality | Peach and Chinese character shou | |
| Pomegranates | Pomegranate fruit | Whole pomegranate fruit | |

### Mushroom

| Name | Symbol | Images |
| Lingzhi | Immortality and shares the meaning of ruyi (如意), "as you wish". | |

## Inanimate objects

| Name | Name | Name | Symbolism |
| Coins | Chinese numismatic charm | | |
| Gems/ Precious stone | Baozhu | Flaming pearl | |
| Gems/ Precious stone | Triratna/ triple gem | Triratna/ triple gem | |
| Hand-held fan | Open hand-held fan | Open hand-held fan | |
| Ingot | Gold ingot | | |
| Ingot | Silver ingot | | |
| Knots | Endless knots | Endless knots | Infinite wisdom of Buddha$^{:84}$ |

## Chinese characters

| Name | Name | Name | Symbolism |
| Cai (wealth) | Stylized character | Stylized character | Wealth |
| Fo (佛) | Chinese character | Chinese character | Buddha |
| Fu (福) | Chinese character | Upright | prosperity/ good luck |
| Fu (福) | Chinese character | Upside down | |
| Fu (福) | Stylized symbol | Stylized symbol | prosperity/ good luck |
| Lu (禄) | Chinese character | Chinese character | |
| Lu (禄) | Stylized symbol | Stylized symbol | |
| Shou | Chinese character | Chinese character | longevity |
| Shou | Stylized symbol | Stylized symbol | longevity |
| Shou | Shou with wan | Shou with wan | |
| Wan | Chinese character | Chinese character | Ten thousand years |
| Xi (double happiness) | Chinese character | Chinese character | wedding bliss |
| Xi (double happiness) | Stylized symbol | Stylized symbol | wedding bliss |
| Xi (happiness) | Chinese character | Chinese character | |
| Fushoushang (福壽双) | Chinese character | | |

## Taoist religion
### Taoist deities and immortals

In present day China, the Sanxing and other Chinese folk deities continue to be perceived as powerful carrier of good fortune. The Queen Mother of the West, Xi Wangmu, who is often figured in Chinese stories, is associated with symbols of longevity in Chinese arts as the peaches of immortality are believed to grow in her celestial peach orchard according to folklore stories.

### Taoist symbols

| Name | Name |
| Bagua | |
| Hetu | Hetu |
| Luoshu | Luoshu |
| Taiji | Taiji |
| Taijitu | Taijitu |
| Trigram figure | lí (離) |
| Wuji | Wuji |
| Yin and Yang | Yin and Yang |

## Buddhism religion
### Buddhist entities

| Types | Types | Name | Images |
| Spirits | Female | Feitian (Apsara) | |

## Borders/ meander, and repeated patterns

| Types | Types | Types | Name |
| Chinese characters | Chinese characters | Border | Gong (工; work) and bats |
| Decorative | Floral and twines | Grass pattern | Tang caowen |
| Decorative | Floral and twines | Twined branches | Chanzhiwen |
| Decorative | Curves | Pommel pattern | Guri (屈輪) / Pommel scroll |
| Geometric | Diagonal | Diagonal straight lines | Lishui |
| Geometric | Diagonal | Diagonal wavy lines | Lishui |
| Geometric | Semicricles | Horizontal semi-circles | Woshui |
| Geometric | Curvilinear | Swirl | |
| Geometric | Wavy | Wavy | Boqu |
| Geometric | Others | Yunleiwen ( 云雷纹)/ Cloud-and-thunder pattern (meander) | Yunleiwen |
| Geometric | Others | Yunwen (云纹) / Cloud patterns (meander) | Yunwen |
| Geometric | Others | Leiwen (雷纹)/ Thunder patterns (meander) | Leiwen |
| Composite | Composite | Floral and coin pattern | |

## Related concepts

* Five blessings
* Chinese numerology
* Five colours
* Yansheng coins