This character refers to peaches, which are symbolic in many cultural traditions. In China, the peach is a symbol of youth and immortality. Its blossoms symbolize feminine charm, marriage, etc.

山寺桃花始盛开
shān sì táo huā shǐ shèng kāi
Shansi refers to a temple in a mountain and taohua refers to peach blossoms. Shi shengkai means just beginning to bloom. It is a line from the poem “Peach Blossoms in Dalin Temple” by the Tang poet Bai Juyi (772–846). He came to visit the Dalin Temple in Lu mountains, surprisingly finding that when all flowers outside had fallen far and wide as spring ended, the peach blossoms hidden in the mountain had just begun to bloom—“April in the human world and all the flowery scents fade,/ Peach blossoms in the mountain temple just start to bloom./ Often lament the whereabouts of spring when she retires,/ No idea she could have wound up at this site” (Translated by Ren Zhiji and Yu Zheng).

It is a simple yet funny poem. The first line reveals a sense of depression as the charming spring is fading away. Then the sentiment suddenly turns into gladness when Bai makes the discovery of peach blossoms on Mount Lu. This cheerful finding invokes narrator’s child-like imagination. He feels sorry for being mistaken about the spring, which actually hadn’t left but was playing hide and seek with humans. In fact, this phenomenon is caused by the altitude of the mountain. However, people who lived 1,000 years ago didn’t know that, leading to pleasant surprise.

桃李满天下
táo lǐ mǎn tiān xià
Taoli refers to peach trees and plum trees. Man tianxia means to be all around the world. This term usually serves as a description of teachers who have students all over the world.

This term comes from the Zizhi Tongjian, a general chronicle of Chinese history from 403 BCE to 959 CE. The famous Tang official Di Renjie (630–700) had recommended many talented people to the court when he served as chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian (Empress Wu). People began to say that Di had peach trees and plum trees all over the world, honoring his cultivation and recommendation of talent for the country.

(edited by REN GUANHONG)