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| Chinese Fancy Knots |
| CCTV.COM 2003-06-05 10:06:22 |
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 In recent years, Chinese fancy knots have become very popular in China. They are hand－made ornaments noted for their patterns and bright colors. They are also symbols of happiness and good luck. Chinese fancy knots have long found their way to Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Southeast Asian countries and are well received there. One poet who lived about 1,400 years ago wrote these lines to sing their praises:
"They are dragons and phoenixes,
They are rosy clouds,
They are symbols of love,
They are eternal flowers.
 Chinese fancy knots are closely related to the everyday life the Chinese and express their aspirations for a better life.
“In primitive times, people kept records and accounts by tying knots. Later, they used knots as symbols of good luck to decorate their clothes. Then knots of fancy design were used to embellish fans and jade pendants. They were regarded as signs of happiness and good luck,” said Duan Baolin, professor of Chinese from Peking University.
 These beautiful Chinese fancy knots, either of a simple or a complicated structure, are made of a single piece of string. They are created by tying, drawing, twining, and weaving and the instruments used include crochet hooks, tweezers, scissors, and lighters. The materials needed are strings of various colors, gum, and small decorations made of porcelain or jade.
“In feudal China, it was unbecoming for women to show themselves in public. So they devoted most of their time to needlework at home. Making fancy knots is part of their work and they were very skilled in it. Chinese fancy knots are symmetrical and well balanced. The patterns on both sides are identical. You can make an endless chain of knots on a single piece of string. This symbolizes that life on earth will continue and multiply forever,” said Xiong Dadi, knitting expert.
 Chinese fancy knots are named after their shapes or in accordance with what they suggest. They are symbols of prosperity, happiness, wealth, and longevity. As they are believed to be able to exorcise evil spirits and bring luck, people often carry them and hang them in their homes.
Chinese fancy knots are widely used to decorate clothes, sitting rooms, and cups, plates and chop sticks on dinner tables.
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Editor: Liu Baoyin CCTV.com
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