page_title: Chrysanthemum
section_title: China
hierarchical_section_title: Chrysanthemum / Cultural significance and symbolism / East Asia / China
caption_attribution_description: English: A Chinese dish made of red lacquer over wood, from the Ming Dynasty, dated late 15th to mid 16th century. In the center design of this dish, two archaistic carved dragons without scales twist their bodies in reach of an endless knot, a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture. To make this dish even more auspicious, on the reverse side there is a carved design of chrysanthemums, flowers which are representative of long life in Chinese culture. The designs of billowing waves and lotus flowers carved into the background represent a watery environment, which the Chinese believed was the dragon's natural habitat. Other designs include cattails, a fish, and a crab.
context_page_description: Chrysanthemums, sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center of diversity is in China. Countless horticultural varieties and cultivars exist.
context_section_description: The chrysanthemum is the city flower of Beijing and Kaifeng. The tradition of cultivating different varieties of chrysanthemums stretches back 1600 years, and the scale reached a phenomenal level during the Song dynasty until its loss to the Jürchens in 1126. The city has held the Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Cultural Festival since 1983 (renamed China Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Cultural Festival in 1994). The event is the largest chrysanthemum festival in China; it has been a yearly feature since, taking place between 18 October and 18 November every year.
  The chrysanthemum is one of the "Four Gentlemen" (四君子) of China (the others being the plum blossom, the orchid, and bamboo). The chrysanthemum is said to have been favored by Tao Qian, an influential Chinese poet, and is symbolic of nobility. It is also one of the four symbolic seasonal flowers.
  A chrysanthemum festival is held each year in Tongxiang, near Hangzhou, China.
  Chrysanthemums are the topic in hundreds of poems of China.
  The "golden flower" referred to in the 2006 movie Curse of the Golden Flower is a chrysanthemum.
  "Chrysanthemum Gate" (jú huā mén 菊花门), often abbreviated as Chrysanthemum (菊花), is taboo slang meaning "anus" (with sexual connotations).
  An ancient Chinese city (Xiaolan Town of Zhongshan City) was named Ju-Xian, meaning "chrysanthemum city".
  The plant is particularly significant during the Chinese Double Ninth Festival.
  In Chinese culture, the chrysanthemum is a symbol of autumn and the flower of the ninth moon. People even drank chrysanthemum wine on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month to prolong their lives during the Han dynasty. It is a symbol of longevity because of its health-giving properties. Because of all of this, the flower was often worn on funeral attire.
caption: Ming dynasty red lacquerware dish with carved chrysanthemums and dragons
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