Colors In China

In October 2005, when China’s two taikonauts landed back on Earth after becoming the first Chinese to orbit the planet successfully, the two men were greeted with giant pink bouquets of flowers. Later, bedecked in flower garlands, they continued to hold their pink bouquets as they sat in a convertible and waved to the ecstatic crowds who had come to witness the historic landing.

     From an American point of view, this scene might have seemed unusual because pink flower bouquets are generally not given to men, unless you are in Hawaii, where flower leis are routinely given to both sexes. However, in China pink is not a gendered color the way it is in America. Pink is seen as a shade of red, and red is the color of celebration, good luck, and happiness.

    Traditionally in pre-1949 China, brides wore red clothing and red veils for their marriage ceremonies. Red envelopes filled with money were given as presents during the ceremony, as well as to children for the New Year. Red is the color on firecracker wrappers, many imperial seals, and on the background of the Chinese flag. Red is easily the most important color in China. Today when you want to say that some actor or actress is very popular, you say they are feichang hong!—that is, they are very red! For these reasons, both Communism and Coca-Cola benefited from the traditional
Chinese affection for the color red.

    White has traditionally been associated with death, corpses, and ghosts. An unbleached cotton, a sort of off-white color, was the traditional color to wear to a funeral. “Ghost money” (pinyin: gui zhi, pronounced “gway juhr”), which is burned at funerals and on festivals such as Qing Ming to remember the dead, was printed on undyed off-white paper.

    However, nowadays because of Western influences, brides can be seen wearing Western-style white wedding dresse although it is not uncommon for them to change into red traditional-style qipao dresses during the reception.

   Chinese in general tend to view colorful things more positively than monochromatic ones. For example, all colors are acceptable for children’s clothing so long as they are bright and cheerful, so young babies and boys and girls can be seen in clothes with pink and blue on them as well as yellows, greens, purples regardless of gender.

   Adults can wear all colors, but the New York City obsession with black as the ultimate chic uniform has never been fully accepted in China. In Beijing and Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, you will see young people in their twenties occasionally sporting an all-black look, but in general brighter colors are preferred. If you are inclined to wear black a lot, don’t be surprised if your Chinese hosts or guide comes up to you to say, “You look so sad and depressed. What’s wrong?”

   Chinese cultural connotations associated with color have also influenced the language, sometimes in contradictory ways. For example, when the word “yellow” (in pinyin: huangse de) is used as an adjective for a book, magazine, or movie, it means that thing is pornographic. Yet, the term “Yellow Emperor” refers to the mythic founder of the Chinese people and thus the common ancestor to all Chinese in the diaspora. The phrase “land of the Yellow Springs” refers to a traditional Buddhist
concept of the afterlife or paradise.

  Green is generally a neutral color, yet the expression “to wear a green hat” (pinyin: dai lü maozi) when referring to a man means that he’s been cuckolded. Therefore, men should not wear green-colored hats, knit or otherwise, when visiting China lest they elicit giggles.

  The term “black society” (pinyin: hei shehui) refers to the world of organized criminal gangs. It does not have anything to do with skin color.

And whereas the color red itself has positive connotations, the expression “to have red eyes” means that someone is very jealous or envious of another person.

Nevertheless, in practical terms, if you’re giving a gift to someone, red or pink wrapping paper is always appropriate and does not conjure up images of envy but simply signifies a celebration and a wish for good luck. When choosing a bouquet, unless it’s for a funeral, bright colors are preferable to white flowers unless the recipient is very familiar with Western tastes or into the avant-garde art scene.

And if you’re a guy, and someone gives you flowers as a welcoming gift or a thank-you for a performance (singing at assemblies is a popular activity at many schools), think like the Hawaiians and enjoy their beauty.