Among a world of colours, red stands out the most. The fresh and pure colour is a symbol of energy. In China, red is really important and people call it "China Red". Chinese people are crazy about the colour not only because of its special features (特征) but also because of its rich meanings in Chinese culture and history.
The ancient Chinese used the colour red a lot. Red is the colour of fire. It could also bring warmth and light and drive away wildlife in ancient times. Yandi, one of the Chinese ancestors (祖先), was also called Chidi. This name came from fire. Ancient people not only used the red paint to produce rock paintings, but also had their home with red things, such as the Chinese knots (结), lanterns and paper-cutting.
In ancient China, black, red, green, white and yellow were regarded as (被视为...... ) special colours and red was highly praised. These five colours were believed to have a relationship with the rise and fall of the Chinese dynasties. Each dynasty had its main colour. Green was the colour of the Xia Dynasty. When the Shang Dynasty took the place of the Xia Dynasty, white became the preferred colour. And in the Zhou Dynasty, people loved red. Later, the Qin Dynasty was established, and the preferred colour became black. In the Western Han Dynasty, yellow was the main colour. However, red was used the most times as the preferred colour, like the Zhou, the Eastern Han, the Song and the Ming dynasties, As time went by, red became a colour of power.
In China, red is now more than just a colour. It's a symbol of Chinese spirit.
