In "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Caiwei" it is written: "In the past, I went there, and the willows were clinging to them; now I come to think about it, and the rain and snow are falling." It talks about the separation of people in the bright spring and all things are beautiful. I left when I was young, but when I came back, it was a snowy winter scene. In fact, the author here uses scenery to heighten the mood of parting. In many Yuefu folk songs after this, poems using willow trees to represent farewell began to appear one after another.
In Chinese, Liu and "Liu" are homophonic. People hope to express their feelings of retaining the departed person by breaking willows, and people's inseparable and inseparable feelings are as endless as the willow branches blowing in the wind. As the saying goes, "If you plant flowers intentionally, they will not bloom, but if you plant willows unintentionally, they will create shade." People break willows to send people away, and they also wish that their relatives or friends who are traveling far away can be like willow branches, with strong vitality wherever they go, and not feel uncomfortable because of leaving their hometown. With the willow branches by your side, you feel like your loved ones are by your side, and you can be at peace with the situation.
It is said that on the long embankment of Baqiao in Chang'an in ancient times, there was a weeping willow tree like a silk ribbon every few meters apart. This place is the only way in and out of Chang'an, so many people bid farewell here. The breeze blew the willows on the shore, adding to people's sadness of parting. Therefore, people break off willow branches and give them to those who are leaving. Those who leave with the willow branches will be as easy to survive as the willow branches. Zhang Jiuling of the Tang Dynasty had a poem that said: "Break a willow delicately, and hold it to express your love."
After the image of breaking willows came into being, literati and poets expanded and sublimated it, making the scene of farewell and sentimental scenes even more profound and beautiful. Liu Xi's sentiment of expressing his best wishes became even stronger.