The colour "Blue" in Chinese Culture

[Minghequan]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me the value and or significance/meaning of the colour "Blue" in Chinese culture, ranking etc?

I am very interested in this form a cultural and Martial Arts level and would appreciate any and all information and discussion.

[Lebaufist]

Ranking? are you serious?

[BillSmith]

Blue symbolizes immortality. Dark blue is also a color for somber occasions like funerals and deaths.

[bawang]

blue symbolizes the small shiver that happens sometime when you pee.

[taai gihk yahn]

blue symbolizes the small shiver that happens sometime when you pee.

my sifu said that the secret of immortal practice was never to do that...

[Lebaufist]

Thats not livin' buddy.

[Drake]

I am ranked "Azure Donkey"

[David Jamieson]

Chinese sash colours tend to stick with the colours that correspond with 5 phase/ 5 elements.

white/gold/green/red/black

which each correspond to

wood/metal/earth/fire/water


...and so on. Cosmologically speaking, there's not much there on Blue.

[Dale Dugas]

Look at old symbolism you see in Chinese culture.

Blue Dragon: Ching Long

White Tiger: Bai Hu

These were the images seen in many temples.

I would infer the meaning would be strong, wise, etc using the color blue based on this.

[David Jamieson]

Wouldn't Ching Long be Green Dragon Dale?

[MasterKiller]

I understand asking a really tough gangster to see his "Blue Dragon" is seen as a compliment.

[taai gihk yahn]

Look at old symbolism you see in Chinese culture.

Blue Dragon: Ching Long

White Tiger: Bai Hu

These were the images seen in many temples.

I would infer the meaning would be strong, wise, etc using the color blue based on this.

isn't it Green Dragon? ("ching" meaning green / young and relating to the Liver / Wood phase)

[jdhowland]

The concepts of green and blue were sometimes conflated into the idea of a single color. I remember reading that about 40 years ago in an old book about Chinese symbols.

[GeneChing]

Qing (青 ching in Cantonese) can be translated as green or blue. Usually it means green. Sometimes it even means black.

[David Jamieson]

Qing (青 ching in Cantonese) can be translated as green or blue. Usually it means green. Sometimes it even means black.

Really? The "black" one would be a pretty esoteric kind of reference wouldn't it?

[GeneChing]

That same character can also mean 'young'.

No wonder why everyone is all confused all the time, right? :rolleyes:

[TenTigers]

That same character can also mean 'young'.

No wonder why everyone is all confused all the time, right? :rolleyes:
well, it makes sense.
When someone is green, they are young and inexperienced, unripened.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I for one like the colour blue
http://wickedlyelegantlingerie.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Blue-Nightgown-Intimate-Lingerie.jpg

[sanjuro_ronin]

and green
http://www.bikinigo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/green_bikini.jpg

[sanjuro_ronin]

all the colours of the rainbow
http://media.funlol.com/pictures/14237.jpg

[Mas Judt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DncLdq5WXKw

[MasterKiller]

Why discriminate?

http://www.lovegirls.co.uk/content/funnypictures/Taste__The_Rainbow.jpg

[TenTigers]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DncLdq5WXKw
That ain't da fukin blues, man.
That's more like a Chinese Bruce Springstein.

This is Chinese Blues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhEbh3AaTV4&feature=related

[ghostexorcist]

What follows comes from A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols by Wolfram Eberhard:


"Blue (lan, 藍) - One should never wear light or dark blue flowers or ribbons in the hair: it is unlucky. Blue may also be a harbinger of high office and social preferment--with added worries and difficulties. Blue eyes are regarded as ugly; as a rule, blue eyes were found only among non-Han minorities in Central Asia, e.g. among the Hunza.

'Blue Faces': Kui-xing, the god of literature, was originally a scholar, who was frustrated in his ambitions and committed suicide. He is often represented with a blue face. Jian-zhai, one of the demon kings, is also often shown with a blue face and red hair; 49 days after a death, a paper figure of Jian-zhai is folded and set upright at the memorial sacrifice. In many traditions, a man with a blue face is a ghost or a bad character.

The word lan is not found in the older literature. It is derived from the name of the indigo plant, until recently the most important source of dyes for the clothes of ordinary people. The older word for 'blue' is qing [青] which covers all shades from dark grey through blue to green. Qing can be used of the blue of the sky or of the sea.

Qing also symbolises the study carried out by the scholar who goes on working into the night by the light of the 'blue lamp'. 'The way of the blue clouds' is a metaphor for progress from one examination to another. Formerly, a 'blue tent' used to be erected at marriage ceremonies; and the nomadic tent in Mongolia is similarly described.

'To sow jade in the blue field' means 'to be pregnant'. 'Blue Dragon' is a metaphor for the p*nis. The 'blue bird' is a messenger from Xi-wang mu [Queen Mother of the West]: hence, any messenger" (pp. 42-43).

The bracketed words are mine.

[TenTigers]

there is also the expression in Chinese,"Wearing a blue/green hat," which means when a man doesn't know that his wife is cheating on him.
You might want to avoid blue....

[Fa Xing]

"Blue (lan, 藍) - One should never wear light or dark blue flowers or ribbons in the hair: it is unlucky. Blue may also be a harbinger of high office and social preferment--with added worries and difficulties. Blue eyes are regarded as ugly; as a rule, blue eyes were found only among non-Han minorities in Central Asia, e.g. among the Hunza.

That explains a lot in how some chinese women thought of me.

[omarthefish]

there is also the expression in Chinese,"Wearing a blue/green hat," which means when a man doesn't know that his wife is cheating on him.
You might want to avoid blue....
Not "blue/green". It's specifically green. The word is not "qing" which could blue or green. It's "lu"/绿帽子。

Incidentally, I'm glad this topic is finally taking a serious turn. It's something I've been meaning to look into. Not just blue but what colors in general represent. Like in Chinese opera, the color of the face lets you know if the person is a scholar, hero, etc.

[TenTigers]

Not "blue/green". It's specifically green. The word is not "qing" which could blue or green. It's "lu"/绿帽子。

Incidentally, I'm glad this topic is finally taking a serious turn. It's something I've been meaning to look into. Not just blue but what colors in general represent. Like in Chinese opera, the color of the face lets you know if the person is a scholar, hero, etc.
oh shush, you.:p

[ghostexorcist]

Not "blue/green". It's specifically green. The word is not "qing" which could blue or green. It's "lu"/绿帽子。

Incidentally, I'm glad this topic is finally taking a serious turn. It's something I've been meaning to look into. Not just blue but what colors in general represent. Like in Chinese opera, the color of the face lets you know if the person is a scholar, hero, etc.

Pick another color and I'll see if it is mentioned in the dictionary I used. If it is, I'll transcribe what it says.

[mooyingmantis]

Ghostexorcist,
Fascinating post! Thank you for sharing that with us!

[bawang]

That ain't da fukin blues, man.
That's more like a Chinese Bruce Springstein.

This is Chinese Blues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhEbh3AaTV4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzdv6BJJgbk

[DohTzay]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me the value and or significance/meaning of the colour "Blue" in Chinese culture, ranking etc?

I am very interested in this form a cultural and Martial Arts level and would appreciate any and all information and discussion.

Blue sounds like "Lahn Sih" in Mandarin. I don't know of any significance.

[SPJ]

1. Blue procelain was and still is the best quality.

Jin Tai Lan was the best.

qing hua ci is blue flower procelain etc etc.

2. Blue sky is the greatest. lan tian.

Blue sky is very deep and wide.

Judge bao is called Bao Qing Tian.

Qing is the bluest of blues. or purest blue or deepest blues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBpKPDMBV6U&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHGCzE8O4Qk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQzENsK3OqM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSvANEHIVVM&feature=related

:)

[SPJ]

There are 7 colors in the rainbows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVTFOL5SyEo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM9e2MN9iAw

:cool:

[SPJ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQBIPn_cnM0

lots of colors.

:)

[SPJ]

yes. blue white and red.

the choices of three colors are actually learned or borrowed ideas from the french republic flag.

and the Russia republic adopted the three colors, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlOA4mLIwq8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOAtz8xWM0w

:cool:

[SPJ]

1. cultural themes in Taiwan's celebrating the 100th aniversary of founding of ROC.

ask that where to go in the future

must know that where we come from first

find answers in our roots (culturally)

forge our future based on our roots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-daO0n6Hh8

2. PR China

shining girl militia from beijing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vA4T1wfJLE&feature=related

while Russia abandoned the red flag in 1989.

China still dons the red flag

even thou market economy gradually took the place of socialism since 1978 or 10 years ahead of Russia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNOkJcduIK0

---

[SPJ]

President Obama visited China.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVj49YI1x3g&feature=related

State dinner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qUfXSg2KYM&feature=related

--

[SPJ]

An American boy living in Beijing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sz1E3zZE7k&feature=related

wow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfTeCeqrQ3E&feature=related

Russian as Chinese anchorwoman.

Wow.

Alles gut.

C'est bon.

Great.

:)