Water convolvulus in Taiwanese is called ying, which is similar in sound to the word for eternal, so its picture on a tray represents a wish for long life. (Chuang Po-ho / photos courtesy of the National Palace Museum / tr. by Peter Eberly)
原來空心菜的台語叫「應菜」，「應」音近「永」，所以空心菜寓意「永遠」，出現在盤上的空心菜花紋，也就具備這種生活祈願意義了。