Peach and plum originally refer to peach trees and plum trees, or peach blossoms and plum blossoms. However, since the pre-Qin Dynasty, due to the similarity in many aspects such as the growing area, growth habits, and flowering seasons of peaches and plums, people have called them both together. Over time, the fixed name of peaches and plums has been formed. Due to the widespread use of peach and plum in literature, this fixed phrase has been endowed with many connotations.
Youth
Peaches and plums usually bloom in March and April. "Lu's Spring and Autumn" says that in the second month of spring, when the rain begins, the peach and plum blossoms bloom, and it becomes spring. symbol. Using peaches and plums to represent spring has become a habit in poetry. For example, Mr. Jiang's poems about the peach blossoms shining in the spring, and the willow trees contending for the plum blossoms in February ("Pheasant Spots"), Cen Zhijing's peach and plum festival on the roadside, picking mulberries on the road in spring ("Luoyang Road"), Lu Zhao's neighbor's thousands of miles of smoke and dust, the time of the peach and plum blossoms in the three spring months ("Mountain Journey") Liu Li Er joined the army"), etc.
And what are the peaches and plums like in spring? The peaches and plums are in full bloom, the flowers are blooming, and the girl's appearance is also the same? So there is a beautiful woman from the southern country, Rong Huaru peaches and plums (Cao Zhi's "Seven Miscellaneous Poems" 》Fourth) Such praise.
At the same time, it is full of vitality and vigorous. Isn’t that what human youth is like? So there is the saying of the Peach and Plum Year. The youth of peach and plum is used to compare human youth. Wei Yingwu once said Cherish your youth and cherish your peach and plum years (Part 2 of "Ancient Poetry").
Good things come and good things go
"The Book of Songs" says that if you give me peaches, you will repay me with plums. If someone gives me a basket of peaches, I will give you plums in return. "Wei Feng Papaya" says that if you give me a peach, you can repay me with Qiong Yao. If you give me a wood plum, I can repay you with Qiong Jiu.
In "The Book of Songs", peaches and plums become beautiful items given to each other. This tradition was also inherited by later generations of literati. Peaches and plums began to symbolize repayment, repayment, or kindness and courtesy. Bai Juyi said that he was a poor poet and had no good things to offer, so he had no choice but to repay Qiongju with his gifts ("At the end of the year, Zhang Shijun of Quzhou repaid him with a letter and a poem because he wrote a long sentence"). Wang Zhidao said that you should not despise peaches and plums. How dare you despise peaches and plums? The reward will be Yaojiu ("Reading Wei Yancheng's poems under the lamp because of the rhyme of Zengzi Xiu Jun").
Excellent quality
Sima Qian once evaluated Li Guang in the biography of General Li, saying that he did not say anything about Li Guang. There is a Chinese proverb in which peach and plum trees do not speak, but they make their own mistakes. The literal meaning is that although peach and plum trees cannot speak, because of their beautiful flowers and delicious fruits, people admire and pick them one after another, so they make a path under the trees. It is often used to describe people who are sincere and sincere, and can naturally inspire people. It can be said that peaches and plums have become synonymous with good character.
King Luo Bin said that there is no need to trust the strange numbers. The peaches and plums are speechless. ("Leaving the Fortress in the Early Autumn to Send to Dongtai Xiangzheng Bachelor") Xin Qiji said that passionate mountain birds do not need to cry. The peaches and plums are speechless, and they create a trail of their own. ("One Cut Plum") peach and plum are used as a metaphor for noble qualities or people with noble qualities.
Disciple and disciple
Of course, the most well-known, Taoli is also synonymous with disciple and disciple. Bai Juyi has a poem "Feng He Ling Gong Plants Flowers in the Green Field Hall". He wrote:
The Green Field Hall opens to occupy the beauty of things, and passers-by point out the way to Ling Gong's house. Your Majesty has peaches and plums all over the world, so why bother planting more flowers in front of the hall?
Your Majesty is Pei Du, a famous official in the Tang Dynasty. Pei Du was an outstanding politician and writer in the mid-Tang Dynasty. After resigning and retiring, Pei Du lived in Luye Hall, where he often gathered with Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi to enjoy themselves with poetry, wine, music and calligraphy. There are tens of thousands of flowers and trees in the Green Field Hall, so Bai Juyi said that they have captured the essence of all things. However, in Bai Juyi's view, Pei Du still has peaches and plums all over the world, so he doesn't need to plant flowers.
Here, peaches and plums are a metaphor for the younger generations you cultivate and the disciples you teach. The peaches and plums all over the world are a metaphor for the many outstanding talents you have cultivated. This meaning of peach and plum has also formed many vocabulary words, such as peach and plum teaching refers to the teacher's teaching, and peach and plum gate refers to a sect with many students. Di Renjie in the Tang Dynasty had many disciples, and he repeatedly recommended many generals and ministers to Wu Zetian. At that time, someone said to Di Renjie: All the peaches and plums in the world are in Gongmen. Li Bai also wrote a poem "Gift to Cui Shiyu": Fuyao should borrow strength, and peaches and plums are willing to provide shade. It also uses peaches and plums to describe disciples and disciples.
Home
The last thing I want to talk about is the meaning of home for peaches and plums. Among the thirty-six strategies, there is one of Li Dai Peach Zong. In fact, the idiom Li Dai Peach Zong is because plum trees and peach trees are planted together. When insects come to bite the peach roots, the plum tree is bitten instead of the peach tree, which means that the peach and plum trees are bitten instead of the peach trees. ** adversity, so it was used as a metaphor for brothers loving and helping each other, and later turning to suffering for each other or for others. This idiom comes from "Cockcrow" in the Collection of Yuefu Poems: Peach trees grow on the well, and plum trees grow beside them. Insects come to eat the peach roots, and the plum trees replace the peach roots. Trees pass through each other, brothers still forget each other.
Peaches grow on the dew well, and peaches grow on the plum tree. The ancients often planted plants in front of the house, in the backyard, and outside. Peach trees and plum trees were often planted together because of their similar growing environments. Tao Yuanming described his hometown as being in front of Taoliuo Hall. Therefore, whenever tourists who are away from home see peaches and plums, they will think of the peach and plum trees at the entrance of the village in front of their home, which will especially trigger a strong feeling of homesickness.
Recalling that garden, the peaches and plums from my old home, I saw that the flowers bloomed several times after I heard him say goodbye. (Qin Guan's "Qin Yuan Chun")
From spring to youth, to gifts, to teachers and students, and to home, the symbolic meaning of peaches and plums presents a diversified spectrum with the different feelings they give people. Grace. These two different trees have become connected and become an integral image, active in Chinese culture.