Chinese flowers are a recurring theme in Chinese art and poetry. But without understanding the floriography — the meanings associated with certain flowers — the symbolism could go over your head. While some flowers represent seasons or months, others have symbolic meanings based on their Chinese names. Let's learn the importance of flowers in Chinese culture along with symbolism associated with some Chinese flowers.

在中国的诗画中，花卉是重要的表现元素。但若你不了解“花语”，那么你可能无法理解花卉的形象背后所蕴藏的寓意。有些花与她们开放的季节或月份直接相关，有些则因她们的名字而暗藏玄机。下面我们就来介绍几种中华文化中经常出现的花卉，探讨一下这些花卉所富含的深意。

Peony is the flower of spring, also known as the "queen of flowers". The flower symbolizes fame and wealth. Red peonies are the most desired and valuable, while white peonies symbolize young, witty, and beautiful girls. Along with the plum blossom, peony is a traditional floral symbol of China, and often appears in ancient Chinese artworks.

牡丹是春天的象征，被誉为“花中之王”。牡丹花代表着华丽与富贵，红牡丹更是被视为珍品，而白牡丹则象征年轻聪慧的美女。与梅花一道，牡丹也常常作为中国的象征，在大量中国古典艺术作品中出现。

Chrysanthemum is one of the most common flowers in China and is symbolic of autumn and of the ninth lunar month. The Chinese pronunciation of chrysanthemum is similar to "jiǔ" which means "long time". Therefore, chrysanthemums symbolize duration and long life.

菊花是中国最常见的花卉之一，代表着秋天和农历九月。中文的“菊”与“久”字读音相近，代表着“长长久久”，因此菊花是长寿和坚忍不拔的象征。

Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. The Chinese word for lily sounds like "bǎi hé", which is part of the proverb "bǎi nián hǎo hé", which means "happy union for one hundred years". The flower is considered a good gift for all occasions and are said to help people forget their troubles.

百合在全世界很多地方的文化和文学中都扮演着重要角色。在中文中，“百合”二字可联系到成语“百年好合”，象征着情人间的长长久久。但通常情况下，百合是适用于各种场合的赠礼，据说能够帮助人们忘却烦恼。

Lotus is a flower related to Buddhist symbolism. Besides its link with Buddhism, lotus is known as "the gentleman's flower" because it grows out from the mud, pure and unstained. Typically considered as the "summer flower", lotus is also regarded as a crucial source for many culinary enjoyments.

莲花与佛教有着密切的联系。除此之外，在中国文化中，莲花还被称为“君子之花”，因其“出淤泥而不染”。莲花作为一种典型的“夏花”，还有着极高的食用价值，可谓“全身都是宝”。

In China and some other Asian countries, the rhizomes of lotus are consumed as a vegetable. They have a crunchy texture with sweet flavors and are made into different kinds of dishes. Lotus seeds are an important ingredient in the making of many pastries, including the moon cake. In China, people also consume lotus embryo tea, lotus leaf tea, as well as the fragrant lotus flower tea.

例如在我国和部分亚洲国家，莲藕是一种常见的蔬菜，它口感爽脆，滋味清甜，可以做成多种美味佳肴。莲花的种子——莲子也是糕点中的重要配料，月饼中的“莲蓉馅”就加入了莲子。在我国，莲花的多处部位可以用来泡茶，如莲心茶，荷叶茶，还有芬芳的莲花茶等。

floriography: n. 花语

rhizome: n. 根茎

crunchy: adj. 爽脆的