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Bamboo: longevity, hardiness, durability
Bat: good fortune
Bear: bravery and strength; a potent charm against robbers
Bee: industry and thrift
Buddha Hand (citron plant): wealth, or its acquisition
Butterfly: immortality
Carp: perseverance; also, as "dragon of the sea", watchfulness
Cat: protector against evil spirits of the night. (Double cats are
symbolic of conjugal bliss.)
Chrysanthemum: joviality; a life of ease after retirement
Cicada: immortality and resurrection; conductor to the next life
Coin: prosperity, wealth
Conch shell: a prosperous voyage; a symbol of royalty
Crane: longevity and old age; conveyor of souls to the heavens
Cricket: emblematic of courage; a symbol of summer
Crow: red or golden: filial piety; black (raven) is an omen of evil
Dog: fidelity
Dog of "Fo" (actually a form of lion): energy and valor; protector
Dove (or pigeon): faithfulness, filial duty; impartiality
Dragon: emperor; strength; yang principal; lord of aquatic creatures
Duck: felicity; conjugal fidelity (also double duck: connubial bliss)
Eagle, Falcon: boldness, keen vision; authority
Eight trigrams: forces of nature (I Ching)
Elephant: strength, sagacity and wisdom
Fish: abundance, fertility; (Double fish: connubial bliss, harmony)
Flywhisk: leadership, mercy
Frog: good fortune in gambling or money-making. The
Three-Legged Frog symbolizes 'magic' or the 'unattainabl
Goat (also sheep): emblem of a retired life
Gourd: magic
Heart: one of the five centers of emotional feelings; cycle of love
Horse: speed and perseverance
Hydra (or split-tailed dragons): young dragons; playfulness
Ju-I: a "scepter" symbolic of Buddhist principals; a guide
Key pattern (meander): thunder and clouds
Kwan Yin (Lady of Mercy): mercy, compassion
Knot: longevity, true love, "wheel" of life
Leaf: emblem of felicity
Lion: valor and energy (see "Dog of Fo")
Lotus: purity, enlightenment
Lohan: Buddhist ascetic
Lute: one of the four signs of a scholar; a symbol of marital happiness
Monkey: trickery; warder off of evil spirits
Moon: darkness, yin principal
Ox (cow): spring; agriculture
Palm: retired life
Peach: longevity
Pear: wise and benevolent government
Pi (perforated disc): power and authority; early pagan symbol of sun
Pig: protector of wealth
Phoenix empress; the yang principle
Plum (prunus): longevity, hardiness. Pine, prunus and bamboo are known as the
"three friends" because they stay green in the winter. Often shown together, all
three symbolize longevity and vitality.
Pomegranate: fertility
Quail: courage, pugnacity
Rat: industry and prosperity
Rice grains: fecundity; good harvest
Sheep: emblem of a retired life
Stork (usually depicted with pine): longevity
Spider: protector against evil spirits
Sun: essence of the male principal in nature
Tael: Chinese unit of gold weight; symbolic of wealth or its aquisition
Tiger: courage, dignity, military power (lord of all land creatures)
Tortoise: longevity, strength, endurance
Umbrella: dignity, high rank
Unicorn: grandeur, illustrious offspring, wise government, longevity
Willow: meekness, spring; maidenhood
Yin-yang: the Chinese principal of cosmic duality
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