The Chinese Character, an Interpretable Chinese Culture

"Yan" (燕) is an easily recognizable pictographic character. In oracle bone inscriptions, it features the image of a bird with an open mouth, unfolded wings and furcated tail. During the evolution of Chinese characters in the form and structure, "yan"(燕) has been giving us the imagination of spreading wings and extending feather. 

As early as thousands of years ago, people had already known about the rule of migration of swallows. Since the swallows return in every spring, poets in all ages have been glorifying and eulogizing the bird as the symbol of spring. Moreover, since the swallows often fly in pair in the sky, those couples in love are compared to the "yanlv", namely, swallows perching in pair. Ever since the ancient times, the Chinese people have been taking delight in accommodating swallows nesting and bearing offspring in their houses and regarding it as auspiciousness and blessing.