Each color of China in the courtyard

is a masterpiece and an episode of history

Chinese traditional colors are simply elegant

and exceedingly beautiful

According to the rule of Rites of Zhou Dynasty

Red, yellow, cyan, black and white

are five pure colors

Red

Red, “Chi” in Chinese,

is also called “Jiang” in ancient times

 “Jiang” means crimson

Red symbolizes auspiciousness and propitiousness

as well as orthodoxy and nobility

You can find it on traditional-Chinese-style door heads

on the autumn maple leaves in the courtyard

and the nimble koi in the pool

...

China red boasts ineffable beauty

Yellow

Black symbolizes the sky while yellow stands for the earth

Yellow is a noble color in ancient China,

which is only for royal family

and stands for the highest standard of rites

Yellow, the color of the earth,

symbolizes the most devout awe of people for the land

Yellow is the winter jasmine blooming in spring

the ginkgo in late autumn

and the old door leading to home

...

Cyan (“qing” in Chinese)

Cyan is an oriental color

Ancients used the word “danqing (vermilion and cyan, two commonly used colors in ancient paintings)” to imply paintings and calligraphy,

proving its simpleness and elegance

The ancients regarded cyan as the sigh of beauty

It includes deep black (xuanqing), dark purple (ganqing) and bluish (daiqing)

Cyan is the tile on the roof, sheltering the warm home,

the bamboo in the courtyard, standing for nobility and integrity,

as well as the lotus leaf and the stone slate

 

Black

Black stands for dark and gloom

as well as intangible truth

This deep and distant color is like the darkness before the dawn

Black is the roofing tile,

a shelter that can keep you from the wind and rain,

and a kettle for making tea

...

 

White

White is pureness, silence, and nihility

White serves as the base of the five colors

White is the representative color of the Hui-style architecture featuring white walls and gray tiles

A touch of red shadow is hidden behind the white wall

China white embraces beauty in simplicity

Among the diverse colors in the world,

white is the most original and nature one

The colors of China in the courtyard

are intoxicating and indelible