China boasts many popular auspicious symbols. For instance, on the occasion of the New Year, festivals or festive days, people like to decorate their rooms and articles with such auspicious patterns, expressing their desire for a happy life and celebrations on a propitious time and festive day.

The auspicious symbols and animals emerged in the Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago, and then became popular among the Chinese people. Nowadays, they are still an indispensable part of Chinese life. These auspicious patterns and symbols cover a wide range, and here are several commonly seen:

* Double happiness: The pattern of double happiness means that two happy events occur at the same time, representing extreme auspiciousness. People often use this pattern when celebrating their weddings. It is a common symbol in the form of an ideogram that's supposed to bring a double dose of happiness to everyone around it.

* Shou (longevity) and Fu (auspiciousness): Shou (the Chinese character of longevity) and Fu (blessings, auspiciousness and good fortune) are most popular auspicious symbols. The pattern of good fortune and longevity is composed of the character of bats and longevity. Since the pronunciation of the bat is homophonic to that of Fu (good fortune), this pattern indicates good fortune and longevity.

* Ruyi: Ruyi, an S-shaped ornamental object usually made of jade, is a symbol of good luck. In the pattern of "four ruyi enclosing each other," four ruyi are enclosed and connected with each other on four sides, symbolizing everything goes as one wishes.