Chinese Hanging Lanterns - Symbolism Of The Colour Black

By Author: Rob Payne
Total Articles: 2
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Although Chinese lanterns were predominantly used at important parts of the year for celebrations, they are more than just decorative pieces. Since 250 B.C. hanging lanterns have symbolised important events such as birth, death, imminent danger and even social status.



At one point in history, during the Cultural Revolution, hanging lanterns were banned in China. Today however, Chinese lanterns are once again the aesthetic compliment to a wide variety of ceremonies and celebrations - their popularity has grown beyond China to add extra sparkle to any special occasion worldwide.



Usually made of delicate rice paper and bamboo ribbing, Chinese lanterns are hung from the ceiling and lit from the inside to create a warm glow. They are also sometimes released to float up into the sky as a mark of festivities underway.



These days, hanging lanterns are sold in a wide variety of sizes and colours to fit your home decor and mood. One of their more unique colours is black - the meaning of this colour within Chinese ...
... culture, art and physics symbolises the element of water. Within this framework, red is associated with fire, blue-green with wood, white with metal and yellow with earth. Chinese Emperors relied heavily on the "theory of the five elements" to select colours to represent the Tang, Zhou and Qin Dynasties.



In contrast to Western culture which sees black as the colour of death or literally as darkness, Chinese culture defines black as a neutral colour. The I Ching, or Book of Changes, which is one of the most important ancient books to arise out of China, regards black as the colour of heaven. In fact, there is a saying in the text that translates as "heaven and earth of mysterious black", which originated from the observation that the northern sky in China was very dark for a long period of time. This follows with the Chinese belief that the dwelling place of Tian Di, the Heavenly Emperor, was in the North Star.



In effect, ancient China saw the colour black as the highest of all colours. To demonstrate its importance, the well-known Chinese Taiji symbol uses black and white to symbolize the unity and balancing dynamics of yin (earth or female energy) and yang (sky or male energy), without which life as we know it could not exist. Also, the important ancient mystic and Chinese philosopher Laozu chose black as the colour to represent the Dao belief system, which essentially describes the essential workings of the universe.



Thus, the next time you look to buy a hanging lantern, don't see the black ones as too depressingly 'gothic' for a celebration - according to Chinese symbolism you will actually be choosing to symbolise the majesty of heaven and the wisdom that represents harmony.



About the Author: Rob Payne is the founder of Hanging Lanterns, suppliers of Chinese lanterns.