{"id":836,"date":"2023-10-24T03:58:58","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T19:58:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/2023\/10\/24\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/"},"modified":"2024-04-25T20:56:54","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T12:56:54","slug":"ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/","title":{"rendered":"Ancient Chinese Tokens Of Affection"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p>People in love always give gifts to each other. Flowers, chocolate jewelry\u2026 these things, however, are fairly clich\u00e9. Perhaps we can learn something by taking tips from some ancient suitors who defied the strict controls placed on their social lives to de<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 16px;\">People in love always give gifts to each other. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/jobs\">Flowers, chocolate jewelry<\/a>\u2026 these things, however, are fairly clich\u00e9. Perhaps we can learn something by taking tips from some ancient suitors who defied the strict controls placed on their social lives to deliver presents to the objects of their affection.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/#Photo_Internet\" title=\"Photo: Internet\">Photo: Internet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/#FRUIT\" title=\"FRUIT\">FRUIT<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/#Photos_Internet\" title=\"Photos: Internet\">Photos: Internet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/#Jade_pendant\" title=\"Jade pendant\">Jade pendant<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/#Photo_Internet-2\" title=\"Photo: Internet\">Photo: Internet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/#Red_Beans\" title=\"Red Beans\">Red Beans<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/#Photos_Internet-2\" title=\"Photos: Internet\">Photos: Internet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/#Handkerchiefs\" title=\"Handkerchiefs\">Handkerchiefs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/#Combs\" title=\"Combs\">Combs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/ancient-chinese-tokens-of-affection\/#Photo_Internet-3\" title=\"Photo: Internet\">Photo: Internet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Internet\"><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/Fvn0TZ9A5mqDIqXyJkapYsgCeN12?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"01b0cde2115556cad623e81c2c6c90e9-sz_113380.png\" width=\"598\" height=\"610.8879310344828\" title=\"\">Photo: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FRUIT\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">FRUIT<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FtxYxMyN37q5lJoMrm0cQUsaqdtc?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"2a1db8a5ca30c83bdc4219bbb73d0934-sz_608283.png\" width=\"598\" height=\"536.4258289703316\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photos_Internet\"><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/Fgb18uDG3pmbyg56B2__VuKXVqkQ?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"c09aca24e3e2910db4d403f6c6d953c5-sz_30118.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"411\" title=\"\">Photos: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ok, so these, admittedly, were for <a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/dictionary\/english\/cheapskate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cheapskates<\/a>, but a tasty piece of fruit is still quite nice. They were imbued with extra meaning thanks to the Shijing, or the Book of Songs, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry. Because of the popularity of the Shijing, sending fruit as a symbol of love became a custom. Here is the poem:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i>A quince thou givest to me; I have a gem for thee. Not as requital I give, But a token of eternal love. A quince thou givest to me; I have a jade for thee. Not as requital give, But a token of eternal love. A plum thou givest to me; I have a jewel for thee. Not as requital I give, But a token of eternal love.<\/i><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jade_pendant\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">Jade pendant<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Internet-2\"><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FlJmbPqigpa24MqcAO2FaqQBD1Bk?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"469d508e37d349c47241b05aa25fabf1-sz_34382.jpg\" width=\"598\" height=\"379.4206896551724\" title=\"\">Photo: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jade was also mentioned in the poem above, smooth of surface and clear in color, it was usually connected with the character of junzi, referring to men of perfect virtue. As a saying goes, &#8220;A modest humble junzi is as gentle as jade. Adult men usually wore a jade pendant with them. It was said that &#8220;a junzi never takes off his jade for any reason&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">No man would give their jade to others casually, unless they had faith that a woman was his true love. Women, of course, needed to pay back this gift. They usually made beautiful lanyards with silk threads for their lovers, to tie their jade pendants to their waistband.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Red_Beans\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #e33737;\"><strong>Red Beans<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FvArB7FC46IUyOPzDPrPdvCp1mtL?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"5e4a1938b60a0f817f2086e61bcd4148--poetry-chinese.jpg\" width=\"598\" height=\"663.78\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photos_Internet-2\"><\/span><i><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/Fo2GaBwnFAx4SGiYvTx7mBXxC6_T?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"4268b5c55bca5f731ad9e0cbf0cf1537-sz_29262.jpg\" width=\"598\" height=\"410.62666666666667\" title=\"\"><\/i>Photos: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In China, the red bean has another name, love pea. It is said that long long ago, when a man went to war, his wife stood under a tree every day, looking forward to his return. The woman missed her husband so much that she cried every day. After her tears dried up, blood came out of her eyes. When those blood beads dropped onto the earth, a sprout appeared there. And when it grew into a big tree, it was covered with red beans, which just looked like the blood teardrops.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wang Wei, a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty wrote a famous poem about the red beans. A rough translation of the poem might read as follows:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i>The red bean grows in southern lands. With spring its slender tendrils twine. Gather for me some more, I pray, Of fond remembrance is the sign.<\/i><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Handkerchiefs\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">Handkerchiefs<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FuAY6Pip9fDOExCIfa23lcgXu-fi?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"141a035e182bc21f2008d3301977d127-sz_10826.jpg\" width=\"598\" height=\"901.5075376884422\" title=\"\">Photo\uff1aInternet<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Handkerchiefs were another popular option. After having a good time together, people were always reluctant to say goodbye. In most cases, they would shed tears silently. At that time, they took out their handkerchiefs, wiped each other\u2019s tears, and left them with each other. Because handkerchiefs were usually made up of silk threads (\u4e1d), which has the same pronunciation with \u601d( lovesickness). A folk song written by Feng Menglong explained why handkerchiefs could express one\u2019s feelings:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i>I don\u2019t write songs or poems, Just send you a handkerchief with all my love; Please look at the handkerchief carefully, It is all made of threads (a pun for lovesickness).<\/i><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Combs\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #e33737;\">Combs<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Photo_Internet-3\"><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FvGi1O6X_cgYA0ZK7PnmNKitVvOJ?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"d365428ddd45e788c8c8b41640177837-sz_335691.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" title=\"\">Photo: Internet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 16px;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3e3e3e; font-size: 16px;\">Combs were also a popular option. On the &#8220;The Night of Sevens&#8221;, also known as the &#8220;Chinese Valentine\u2019s Day&#8221;, (the seventh of July according to the Chinese lunar calendar), people would send a comb to their lovers. According to the traditional customs, before a woman got married, her family would comb her hair, wishing her a long happy marriage. So buy your girlfriend a lovely comb on Chinese Valentine\u2019s Day; she will love it.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.hiredchina.com\/FlXXlKXBxtykYAuKbjvAxKMwIbVH?imageView2\/0\/format\/webp\/q\/75\" alt=\"GIC.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"543.2937181663837\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"People in love always give gifts to each other. Flowers, chocolate jewelry\u2026 these things, however, are fairly clich\u00e9. Perhaps we can learn something by taking tips from some ancient suitors &#8230;","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[244,60,29],"class_list":["post-836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-funny","tag-ancient-chinese-tokens","tag-china","tag-jobs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=836"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7109,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/836\/revisions\/7109"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}