Banana Plant
Overview
The plantain's reading is auditory: rain on its leaves is one of the tradition's conventional sounds, and the plant carries that association into the courtyard.
Meaning
The banana plant is the garden plant of the rain — the tradition's standard image for the sound of rain on broad leaves.
Traditional Interpretation
Sources use the plantain in the garden as much for the sound it makes in rain as for its form, and it appears in poetry for that reason.
Related Concepts
FAQ
What does banana plant symbolize in Chinese tradition?
The banana plant is the garden plant of the rain — the tradition's standard image for the sound of rain on broad leaves. The plantain's reading is auditory: rain on its leaves is one of the tradition's conventional sounds, and the plant carries that association into the courtyard.
What does the banana plant stand for?
It is one of the standard plants with an agreed reading. The banana plant is the garden plant of the rain — the tradition's standard image for the sound of rain on broad leaves. The auditory association is unusual and specific — the plantain is one of the few plants read by what it does to rain.
How is banana plant read in Chinese tradition?
Sources use the plantain in the garden as much for the sound it makes in rain as for its form, and it appears in poetry for that reason. It is grouped under Wood (木) in the five-element system.
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