Chinese Symbol for Hope

Hope is the value that is highly esteemed in every culture, the world over. This might be the reason behind the 'Chinese symbol for Hope' gaining immense popularity across the globe. Chinese symbol tattoos and T-shirts are very popular in the western world.

Chinese Symbols
Chinese characters or symbols are also known as sinographs. These are written in the form of logograms and are known as 'Han' characters in traditional Chinese. A dictionary of Chinese words known as Kangxi consists of 47,035 characters. The characters of the Chinese writing system are morphosyllabic, i.e. each of the character has some sort of basic meaning.

Chinese Symbol for Hope
The Chinese characters have developed long time ago and haven't undergone many changes in the course of time. The hope symbol in Chinese culture has a mysterious appearance and is painted with the help of a brush. Traditionally, the hope symbol is drawn on a white rice paper. The paper is decorated with a floral silk pattern that is blue in color. The Chinese art of drawing such symbols is known as calligraphy. The hope symbol is also used as a wall hanging artwork. Bamboo could be used to frame this artwork. In recent times, the popularity of Chinese symbols is on a rise in the western world too. Most of the Chinese characters are used for tattooing by the youth. T-shirts designed with the Chinese hope symbols are also available in the market.

Symbols and Meanings
The Chinese people believe in the practice of incorporating various positive symbols in their day-to-day life. Here are some commonly used Chinese symbols and their meanings.

Longevity Symbol: The value of longevity holds great importance in Chinese traditions. This highly esteemed symbol can be found inscribed on rolls, embroidery artwork and bronze engravings.

Chinese Sunset Symbol: The sun is considered to be the source of Yang energy in Chinese culture. It is believed that the sunset symbol is not only the source of energy, but also acts as a purifier. As per Chinese mythology, earlier there were ten Suns in the world, and the 'Divine Archer Yi' did the job of killing nine Suns in order to restore harmony and cosmic balance.

Longevity and Love Symbol: The presence of butterflies in the 'Longevity and love symbol' is an indication of young or undying love.

Chinese Yin Yang Symbols: The Yin and Yang are considered to the opposite forces of nature. The Chinese believe that all the evil happenings of the world are the result of imbalance in the Yin and Yang. Positivity emanates from the harmonic interaction between these two forces. Thus, the Yin and Yang symbol holds great importance and is the base of the whole Chinese philosophy.

Chinese Dragon Symbols: The dragon symbolizes the cosmic Chi or energy. The symbol is known for the good fortune it brings. The dragon is known for the abundance and relief it brings to the parched areas with its ability to release water. High achievement, prosperity and continued success are some of the good qualities of the dragon.

Chinese Calligraphy
It is one of the four arts that was practiced by Chinese scholars in ancient China. The rules which guide the process of drawing symbols take a minimalistic approach in the Chinese tradition, i.e. it emphasizes the importance of simplifying the artwork. The brush strokes used for a particular character are predefined and any changes leads to distortion of the meaning. Chinese scholars used calligraphy to disseminate or spread their thoughts and teachings about immortality.

The Chinese symbol for Hope which is the most popular one amongst the various Chinese characters shouldn't remain an item of mere decoration. One should instill the value of hope in his life to realize the true potential and meaning of the symbol.