The Unwavering Spirit of Plum Blossoms

Evan Mantyk, Contributing Editor

Plum blossoms show their beauty amid the snow and cold rains of winter. They have thus come to symbolize resilience, nobility, and an unwavering spirit in traditional Chinese culture. Since ancient times, they have been a common motif in various forms of Asian art, including literature, poetry, painting, and gardening. 

In Shen Yun's 2011 international tour, female dancers performed Plum Blossoms in which they portrayed plum blossom fairies, stunning audiences with the heartwarming beauty of the performance. The rich culture behind plum blossoms and Shen Yun’s dance served as the inspiration for Shen Yun Collections' new Plum Blossom Mosaic Collection.

In Shen Yun's performances, plum blossoms carry another special meaning: they represent the pure goodness and beauty of those who practice the Falun Dafa meditation discipline and have faced persecution in communist China today—including some of the family members of Shen Yun performers and performers themselves. They have stayed true to a belief in higher moral values and demonstrated the beauty of their ideals amid bitter circumstances, like the plum blossoms in the bitter winter weather.  As the famous Tang Dynasty monk Huang Ying wrote in a poem, "Without enduring the bone-chilling cold, how could plum blossoms exude their fragrant scent?"

In the hearts of poets, plum blossoms have a special place. Yuan Dynasty poet Wang Mian wrote, "In the ice and snow, it adorns itself, not mingling with the other trees. Suddenly, one night, its fragrance fills the world, spreading with spring across the land a thousand miles." Song Dynasty statesman Wang Anshi wrote in a poem,  "A few branches of plum blossom in the corner of the wall, blossoming alone in the cold. From afar, one knows it is not snow, but the scent of plum blossoms in the darkness."

In every dynasty, the symbolism of the plum blossoms has returned. And now again in the present day, the natural beauty and enchanting inner meaning returns at Shen Yun Collections in the new Plum Blossom Mosaic Mother of Pearl Collection, where the snow-inspired mother of pearl inlay mosaic elements complement the pink enamel plum blossoms, creating a vivid  elegance.

Let Shen Yun Collections‘ plum blossom-themed collection bring inspiration and the fragrance of divine culture into your life, touching your loved ones and friends in a tasteful and poetic manner.

Cover Image: "Early Spring in the Yao Garden" by Qing Dynasty artist Dong Gao, from the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei