Long-lived plants and animals, such as pine trees, plum trees, cranes, and tortoises, were naturally considered symbols of longevity, while other plants were deemed auspicious owing to their form: the pomegranate stood for numerous offspring because of its many seeds, for example.
壽命長的動植物，如鶴、龜、松、梅，理所當然地被認為是長壽的象徵；更有假借植物的形體，如石榴多子是多子多孫的兆頭，都成為中國的吉祥圖形。