Yang Shen (杨慎, 1488–1559), alias Sheng’an (升庵), is a literatus and poet in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). He recorded in Volume Ninety-Four of Sheng’an Additional Works a folklore anecdote: ‘In the northern dialect, there is no difference in sound between …
Continue reading “May the whole universe prosper in eternal spring”
The flying mammal bat is called bian fu (蝙蝠) in Chinese. Image of the bat including its various stylised forms are often used in Chinese art to express an auspicious meaning, as ‘蝠 fu’ in ‘蝙蝠’ puns on ‘福 fu’ …
Pun Design: Carrying on the Back + Monkey Punning Details: – ‘bei 背’ for ‘carrying on the back’ makes a pun on ‘bei 辈’ for ‘generation’ – ‘hou 猴’ from ‘hou zi 猴子’ for ‘monkey’ puns on ‘hou 侯’ for …
Continue reading “May each generation of your family be made life peers”
Fish (鱼 yu) puns with the word yu 余 meaning ‘abundance’, therefore it symbolises wealth and prosperity. Lotus (莲 lian) puns with the word lian 连 meaning ‘to continue’ or ‘to connect’, and it is associated with the Chinese phrase …
Pun Design: Chinese bulbul + Two Punning Details: A pair of Chinese bulbuls in image imply the couple or the marriage; ‘bai tou 白头 white-headed’, of ‘bai tou weng 白头翁 Chinese bulbul’ (the white-headed-old-chap bird) can imply a ripe old …
Continue reading “May you both live together to a ripe old age in married bliss”
Pun Design: Chinese bulbul + Peony Punning Details： – ‘bai tou 白头 white-headed’, of ‘bai tou weng 白头翁 Chinese bulbul’ (the white-headed-old-chap bird) can imply a ripe old age; – ‘fu gui 富贵’ in ‘fu gui hua 富贵花 peony’ literally, …
Continue reading “May you enjoy wealth and prestige to a ripe old age”
Pun Design ： Bat + Peach Punning Details： – ‘fu 蝠’ in ‘bian fu 蝙蝠’ is a pun on ‘fu 福’ which means ‘good fortune’, ‘luck’, or ‘happiness’; – Peach has a nickname ‘shou tao 寿桃’ meaning ‘longevity peaches’, is …
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Pun Design ： Gourd + Bat Punning Details： – hu lu (葫芦 gourd) in Chinese is pronounced similar to ‘fu (福 good fortune)’ and ‘lu (禄 official emolument) – ‘fu 蝠’ in ‘bian fu 蝙蝠’ (meaning ‘bat’) is a pun on …
Continue reading “May good fortune and ample official income come to your doorstep”
Pun Design: Five + Bat + auspicious character of ‘Longevity 寿 or 壽’ Punning Details： – ‘蝠 fu’, the Chinese name for bats, puns on ‘福 fu’, meaning ‘good fortune’. – ‘wu fu 五蝠 five bats’, is homophonous with ‘wu …
Continue reading “May five blessings come your way on your birthday”
‘Fu Gui Bai Tou 富贵白头’ is interchangeable with ‘Bai Tou Fu Gui 白头富贵’, with the same meaning of ‘May you enjoy wealth and high position to a ripe old age’. Pun Design: Peony + Chinese bulbul Punning Details： – ‘fu …
Continue reading “May you enjoy wealth and prestige to a ripe old age”