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In Chinese culture, the Plum Blossom symbolizes:
Gu Qi -- strength of character, moral integrity and backbone;
Gang Yi fortitude, indefatigability, perseverance and tenacity;
Xing Fu and Ji Xian -- blessedness, luck and propitiousness.
According to Confucianism, the plum blossom was the symbol of a gentleman who has nobility, personal integrity, fortitude and a heroic quality that does not retreat from adversity. In modern China, Mr. Mao Zedongs lyric " Yong Mei -- Ode to the Plum Blossom", endowed the plum blossom with some of the spirit of the times, clean breath, steadfastness in the cold season, faithfulness, constancy, firmness, independence and self reliance.
The Plum Blossom is also the mascot of happiness and luck.
The ancient Chinese thought that plum blossom had four virtues:筝鐚綣絋篋鐚膸絖筝鐚筝茣Ch笛 shng w辿i yu叩n, kihu r炭 hng, ji辿z w辿i l狸, ch辿ngsh炭 w辿i zhn When it buds, it means everything will be reborn and a new year will start; when it blossoms, it means there will be prosperity and things will go smoothly; when it seeds, it means that everywhere there will be benefit; when it matures, it means constancy (another version says it means satisfaction for the whole of ones life).
The four words: 鐚篋鐚鐚茣 -- yu叩n, hng , l狸 and zhn -- beginning, smoothness, benefit and constancy / satisfaction were the general symbols of Yi Jing -- The Book of Changes.
In the Song Dynasty (960 -1279), Zhu Xi (1130 鐔1200 ) it was thought that the four words expressed the four phases of things from their beginnings through their development to maturity and called it茣筝莎 -- Zhn xio q yu叩n , this then became one of the terms of ancient Chinese philosophy to express the process by which things go from their beginnings to maturity.
There is another version in folk tradition: 罌綣篋胼 -- M辿i ki w f炭, meaning The Plum Blossom has five petals which symbolize: Delight, Happiness, Longevity, Smoothness and Peace.
In folk art, you can often see a picture of a pied magpie on a plum blossom, this means:
-- x bo zoch笛n : the pied magpie is reporting that the spring has come early;
-- x bo ch笛n gu叩ng: the pied magpie is reporting the spring has come;
-- 筝罌 x shng m辿isho: uses the same pronunciation of Xi Que (pied magpie ) and Xi Shi (something happy, delighful and lucky), and of the Chinese characters for Mei (plum blossom) and Mei (eyebrows) to express the meaning: Happiness appears on the eyebrows.
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