Around Singapore

Attached please find two more pictures of fishes. The two pictures show the `importance' and how precious the fish are to the Chinese culture.

1. Rabbit person under the Chinese Zodiac sign is a person who is a family man and enjoy creature comforts at home. 2. Chinese consider the Rabbit a sensual person.

Attached please find two pictures of Chinese lions. You can often find these figures as huge door protectors or even on Chinese carvings and on Chinese carved (signature seals).

These four pictures of the deer. Deer symbolises riches and wealth.

1. Attached please find two sample paper-cuttings. 2. Can you imagine the skill involved in cutting out these pictures? 3. It is indeed a dying art and few can do these fine cuttings. The paper used is very thin and `fragile' coloured paper. 4. Please examine these two pictures carefully and you can see the fine lines of thin coloured paper.

These two pictures have both children and fire-crackers: 1. Picture 1: Showing children playing happily with fire-crackers. Fire-crackers is said to drive away evil / bad luck for the coming year. 2. Picture 2: Shows lot of fire-crackers around a vase. The vase has a picture of children playing with fire-crackers. These two symbols are occassions of Chinese Lunar New Year.

Another series of auspicious patterns. Part 3: Square Yin Yang contrast designs.

Can you spot an eternity loop in this picture?

Although frogs are considered one of the 5 poisons creatures, to many ancient farmers, it is considered `Heavenly Dew' because of its wet surface. Frogs were commonly found in padi fields and to many farmers, who enjoy eating these delicacies e.g. frog legs.

These patterns or designs are `eternity' loops which signify forever. These clever designs thus simbolise eternity.

Attached please find common Chinese circle and triangle patterns. These patterns can often be found on decorative panels, furniture carvings and even window vents.

A user recently requested to know what a Chinese gold nuggets (bullion) looks like. The attached picture shows three Chinese bullions on a decorative pedestal.

Here is a sample typical Chinese gift hamper that is `exchanged' prior to Chinese New Year. Usually, the top or apex has a bottle of VSOP Cognac e.g. Henessey, Remy Martin etc... The quality of the contents depends on the cost of the hamper. Hampers cost between S$150 to as much as S$1000 (S$1 = US$1.69) Since this is the year of the dragon, you will notice a dragon circle the entire hamper:) Warmest Regards, Cecil

Attached please find common patterns associated with the Fire elements. These feature prominently e.g. on temple roofs or motifs on some taiormade Chinese furniture.

1. These are Chinese symbols of water patterns i.e. associated with the water element. 2. If you notice carefully, some patterns are like the scales of a fish. 3. All patterns are characteristic of wavy patterns.

Attached please find more auspicious Chinese patterns. P.S. Apologies, I uploaded pattern 7 twice. Please ignore, pattern 7 (same name/picture)

Here are four pictures of auspicious Chinese patterns.

This picture shows the symbols associated with the Eight Immortals

In ancient times, elephants are widespread all over China. They were hunted by the the upper class. Many ancient books talk about Chinese heroes who ride on elephants. I enclosed more pictures of elephants.

1. Got this off a Bank Credit Brochure: The Millennium Dragon Coins Series showing the motifs of three common dragon motifs. 2. Credit and Source: United Overseas Bank (UOB) Mail Boutique & German Mint, B.H. Meyer's Mint [For the dragon coin]. For the Bank's Credit Card Customer.

This article is an amusing way of associating the types of wines with each Chinese Animal Signs for each of the 12 animals. Please note that this is based on the Year of birth of a person and more for `fun'. Warmest Regards, Cecil P.S. If you are not sure which year you are born, you can visit: http://www.lovesigns.net

1. Auspicious Patterns Part II 2. Most of the patterns form an eternal loop symbolising eternity.

Here are some of the popular auspicious Chinese borders found on edges of books, home decorations, tiles etc...

1. The Golden Dragon starts on 5 February 2000. It is called the Golden Dragon because `Gold' represents the Metal element or Metal-Dragon. It occurs every 60 years. Find out more from the series of article cuttings. Please note that some of the article is not re-produced. Only the essence of the articles are scanned for your information. Credit & Source: The Sunday Times, Singapore: January 23, 2000