Three Friends of Winter

Three Friends of Winter
The Three Friends of Winter by the painter Zhao Mengjian, Song dynasty
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese歲寒三友
Simplified Chinese岁寒三友
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinsuìhán sānyǒu
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabetTuế hàn tam hữu
Chữ Hán歲寒三友
Korean name
Hangul세한삼우
Hanja歲寒三友
Transcriptions
Revised RomanizationSehansamu
Japanese name
Kanji歳寒三友
Hiraganaさいかんさんゆう
Transcriptions
RomanizationSaikan san'yū

The Three Friends of Winter is an art motif that comprises the pine, bamboo, and plum.[1] The Chinese celebrated the pine, bamboo and plum together, for they observed that unlike many other plants these plants do not wither as the cold days deepen into the winter season.[2] Known by the Chinese as the Three Friends of Winter, they later entered the conventions of Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese culture.[3][4][5][6] Together they symbolize steadfastness, perseverance, and resilience.[7] They are highly regarded in Confucianism as representing its scholar-gentleman ideal.[1][8]

  1. ^ a b "Chinese symbols" (PDF). British Museum. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference npm-intro was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Three Friends of Winter". Colby College. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  4. ^ "Cultivating Virtue: Botanical Motifs and Symbols in East Asian Art". Harvard Art Museums. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  5. ^ Matthews, Jill (2018). Korean Gardens: Tradition, symbolism and resilience. Seoul: Hollym. p. 201. ISBN 978-1-56591-500-8.
  6. ^ "Nhành mai xuân trong thơ Lý – Trần". Phật giáo thuộc Giáo hội Phật giáo Việt Nam. 19 January 2022.
  7. ^ Dusenbury, Mary (2004). Flowers, dragons and pine trees: Asian textiles in the Spencer Museum of Art. New York: Hudson Hills Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-1-55595-238-9.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference welch-three was invoked but never defined (see the help page).