Love in Chinese Culture — Meaningful Love Tokens Other Than Words
Love is a permanent topic. It lasts as long as human history and needs constant expression.
To say love in Chinese culture, love tokens are widely used to confirm relationships or show someone's affection besides Words and Symbols.
In history, when parents arranged marriage and young couples couldn't date freely, love token was widely used to confirm their relationship.
When men needed to set off to the battlefields, they would exchange tokens with their loved ones to leave each other something to remember.
Love tokens in Chinese culture should have a very special connection with the person who gives them away, usually something heirloom or exquisitely handmade articles.
Once love tokens are exchanged, they pledged their loyalty and eternal love.
Begonia Flowers by Xiang Shengmo (1597 — 1658)
Importance of Hair in Chinese Culture
In ancient Chinese culture, hair was considered an essential body part given by parents and couldn’t be cut casually.
When people get married, tying a strand of the new couple’s hair together is a meaningful ceremony, meaning they would be connected forever.
In the past, when a man was allowed to have many women, only the most honorable wife was qualified to have this Bind Up of Hair Rite with her husband at their Wedding; other inferior concubines were not allowed to have this rite.
Therefore, cutting off a wisp of hair and handing it out was a serious means to convey someone’s love and commitment.
If a girl gives a boy a strand of her hair, that means she is deeply in love with him, even though she has never said it out loud.
Indeed, the wisp of hair would always be well decorated, using a red ribbon or in an exquisite handmade pouch.
Part of the Painting "Beautiful Ladies" by Artist Qiu Ying (about 1498–1552)
