Flowers have great symbolic importance for the Chinese. By their form, aspect, and fragrance, they are considered to be highly spiritual, reflecting the profound nature of the Chinese people. Poems and proverbs show the cultural importance of flowers: ?There is no flower without beauty in the world?; ?A flower gives us a glimpse of paradise?.
Certain flowers have a particular significance. The lotus symbolizes purity, the chrysanthemum perseverance, the plum blossom integrity, etc. The peony, with its generous forms, brilliant colors, and heady fragrance, became the most important flower for the Chinese.
It is considered to symbolize wealth, nobility, power, and happiness.
Known as the ?queen of flowers?, the peony symbolizes wealth and distinction. Paintings of flowers are often hung in Chinese homes for good luck and in offices to bring success in business. The deep and rich symbolism the Chinese attached to flowers made them an ideal subject for expensive watches and those destined for exalted patrons, even for the Emperor himself. The symbolism of each flower would have been immediately recognized and appreciated by China's elite, who would have seen in them a flattering reference to their own wealth and power.