Chinese fish paintings
中国的鱼画
The words for fish and abundance are pronounced the same in Chinese (yu), so fish in Chinese culture symbolize wealth. Fish also symbolize harmony, happy marriage, and reproduction because they multiply rapidly and sometimes swim in pairs. Chinese folk stories say people placed messages in the bodies of fish to communicate with others at a distance, and thus fish have come to represent communication with a distant friend or loved one. The most popular fish image found in Chinese art and culture is that of the carp. The carp has many symbolic values within Chinese culture. The scales and whiskers of the carp are similar to those of the dragon, a great symbol of power in China, so the carp is also regarded as a symbol of power. Besides, some people believe that the carp also symbolizes good luck. At the Spring Festival, “lucky money” is sometimes given out in red envelopes with a carp or other symbols of long life like pine trees printed on them.
“鱼”和“余”在汉语中发音相同,所以鱼在中国文化中象征着财富。鱼也象征着和谐、美满的婚姻和繁衍后代,因为它们繁殖迅速,有时还成对地游泳。在中国的民间传说,人们把信息放在鱼的体内同远方的人联系,因此,鱼就逐渐开始象征人们与远方的朋友或爱人的交流沟通。在中国的艺术与文化中,最受欢迎的鱼的形象是鲤鱼。鲤鱼在中国文化中有许多象征意义。因为鲤鱼的鳞片和胡须同龙的鳞片和胡须相似,而龙在中国是权力的象征……因此鲤鱼也被视为权力的象征。另外,一些人认为鲤鱼象征着好运。春节时,“压岁钱”有时被包在红包中分发出去,红包上印有鲤鱼或其他象征长命百岁的事物,如松树。