Going to the well

[cyrano]

LJ Hivemind, I come to you for the first request of the year.
So there's this story, and it takes place in San Francisco in 1894. A lot of it involves a foreigner interacting with the local Chinese population. I'm certain eventually I'll bug my historian friends about the Chinese community, but right now I'm looking for information on Chinese symbolism. Specifically, what sorts of things would indicate good fortune, a propitious beginning, or a good omen of sorts? I poked at the interwebs and most of it looks like bullshit. The 'eagle on a rock in the ocean indicates a hero' looked interesting but not terribly credible.

Comments

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

Offhand, the biggest thing I remember is the color red - hence why it's so popular in Chinese restaurants and in decorations for Chinese New Year. It's supposed to be a lucky color, an omen of good fortune, a standard for national pride, what have you.

I also remember something about dragons standing for wisdom (especially the wisdom of age), but if this is the story I'm thinking about that's probably not terribly helpful. :)

[miss-friday.livejournal.com]

Just did a quick Google Books search for "Chinese symbolism." There are a couple of volumes with decent sized preview bits which look sufficiently scholarly. Recommend trying it yourself.

[motleypolitico.livejournal.com]

Well, there's the cat with the paw up, symbolic of good fortune.