Rediscovering 'tipsy cheek' and other forgotten Chinese colors

NINGBO, China -- While Chinese nowadays are used to the standard Pantone colors, their ancestors enjoyed a far richer array of "poetic" colors inspired by nature. In the Southern Tang dynasty, for instance, the color "heaven-water green" was accidentally discovered when a swath of green silk became drenched by dew overnight. Since dew was considered water from heaven, this gentle shade of green became a playful invention of nature.

Traditional Chinese colors have their roots in everything from astronomy to geography and even everyday food. There is crab-shell green and fish-belly white. Even rice soup represents a light color -- mi tang jiao. While "mi tang" means rice soup, "jiao" describes a lovely, spoiled girl. Hence, it is a subtle, down-to-earth color.

Some colors have bold characters as well. "Pomegranate skirt" is not just a type of skirt; it was also the favorite shade of red among women in the Tang dynasty. While women in other periods were somewhat passive and reserved, their Tang dynasty counterparts were strong and active. They rode horses, embraced archery and danced with swords. This vibrant shade of red celebrates their freedom and bravery. Even today, when a man is impressed by a woman, he is said to "fall under her pomegranate skirt."

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