Why Is the Pine Tree so Prominent in Chinese Paintings?

During the Song dynasty (960-1279) an artistic genre called literati painting (文人画 wenrenhua) emerged among scholarly officials in China. Literati painting was used as a form of personal expression to convey the artist’s inner thoughts and philosophical ideas, and it remained popular through the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. Most of the paintings featured natural landscapes, and the pine tree is a recurring figure. 

Although pine trees are very common and may appear ordinary on the surface, when depicted in a painting, they are highly symbolic and touch the hearts of Chinese people. 

With over 100 recognized species, pine trees vary greatly in size and shape. The Chinese white pine is one of the most commonly depicted trees, for its rugged appearance and long, evergreen needles, but there are other Chinese species as well. 

Chinese white pine, Chinese red pine, and Yunnan pine trees are all relatively tall trees, reaching 60 feet and above. They typically lose their lower branches as they grow, displaying the bulk of their foliage on the upper trunk. This allows the trees to withstand strong winds, and reduces the burden of heavy snow. 

With its rustic beauty and quiet fortitude, the pine tree symbolizes a number of virtues in traditional Chinese culture. 

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Since pine trees have a relatively long life-span, often exceeding 100 years, they are often associated with longevity. In China the pine tree is called the “immortal tree.”

As evergreens, pine trees symbolize resilience. Unafraid of ice and snow, they are admired for their endurance through harsh winters, and represent the steadfast spirit of integrity. 

The tall, upright growth of a pine tree signifies self-discipline and moral fortitude, virtues of a true gentleman. 

The pine tree’s soaring heights are also associated with spiritual growth, and man’s higher aspirations. It can be seen as a link between the human and the divine. 

Because of its profound symbolic importance, the pine tree is known as the “king of all trees.”

In traditional Chinese culture, it expressed the lofty aspirations of ancient scholars.

The Chinese name for pine tree includes a noble title.

In the past, names carried profound meanings. Since early times, China’s high regard for the pine tree was reflected in its name. Ancient noble ranks were divided into five grades: duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron, with duke being the highest. 

The character for “pine” (松) contains the radical for “tree,” and the radical for “duke,” demonstrating that the ancient Chinese people had already established the pine tree’s exalted position when naming it. As stated in Wang Anshi’s Explanation of Characters, “The pine is the chief of all trees, just like a duke, hence the character contains the radical for ‘duke.'” 

The Xunzi, in its chapter “Da Lue,” the pine tree is used as a metaphor for a virtuous person. “Without the cold of winter, one cannot know the pine and cypress; without hardship, one cannot know the gentleman.”  

Confucius also praised the pine, saying, “Only in the cold of winter do we know the pine and cypress are the last to wither;” illustrating that only through hardship can one discern truth from falsehood. Through this famous saying, the spirit of the pine tree has been passed down through the ages, making it an enduring cultural symbol among Chinese literati. 

In Chinese landscape painting, pine trees are an indispensable and important subject. Wu Daozi, a prominent painter of the Tang Dynasty, often included pine trees on his hanging scrolls. Jing Hao, a painter of the Five Dynasties, wrote that “only by studying tens of thousands of ancient pine trees can one truly capture their essence.” Indeed, Chinese landscape painting seemed to reach the point that wherever there were mountains, there were pine trees as well. 

But the Chinese people’s love for pine trees extends beyond painting. 

Su Dongpo was a prominent writer, poet, and government official during the Song Dynasty. Aside from demonstrating excellence in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, he exhibited a deep love for pine trees. 

In his youth, he planted pine trees every year, which added up to tens of thousands of trees over a decade. When he was demoted to a post in Huangzhou for political reasons, he found great joy in planting pines around his residence. After his wife passed away, Su Dongpo planted 30,000 pine trees at her grave.  

One pine tree was even granted an official title by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, when the emperor was touring Mount Tai, a sudden storm came, and he took shelter under a large pine tree. Because of its merit in protecting the emperor, the pine tree was later granted the title of “Five Grand Masters,” and later generations called this tree the “Five Grand Masters Pine.” 

Since ancient times to today, the beloved pine tree remains a steadfast symbol of virtue that adds depth and meaning to Chinese paintings and poetry. 

Adapted from a translation of 趣谈中国传统文化中的松, written by Wang Xiaomei.