With Spring Festival now 2 weeks away, may the celebrations begin! And what better way than by once again hanging giant couplets celebrating the incoming new Chinese year, penned by Nanjing’s citizens, from our great city’s gates.
This year’s “Spring Festival Couplets Hung at City Gates; Nanjing Makes a Good Start” (城门挂春联，南京开门红) activity was unveiled in a ceremony held yesterday morning, 16 January, at Nanjing’s biggest city gate, Zhonghua Men.
The giant, red-backed couplets, 15 metres long and two metres wide are now hanging from Zhongshan Men, Jiqing Men, Zhonghua Men, Qingliang Men, Xuanwu Men, Yijiang Men, Hanxi Men, Jiefang Men, Shence Men, Wuding Men, Yifeng Men, Biaoying Men and Taiping Men. Among these, Hanxi Men is being included for the first time.
Since the initiative’s inception, over 10,000 Spring Festival couplets have been submitted to organisers. This increasing pile of work is reviewed by experts, representatives and consultants of various poetry societies, right up to provincial level. After their review was selected the thirteen winning couplets to be hung from the gates.
Unique in China, the activity is a creative integration of the 650 year-old City Wall, with calligraphy, couplets, Spring Festival folk customs and other intangible cultural heritage.
Recreated below are the 13 couplets, courtesy Nanjing Daily. English translation by The Nanjinger.
Zhongshan Men
九州天地，万象更新，南京眼里升腾爱；
大国复兴，中山揽胜，世界潮头浩荡春。
From ancient China’s realm, now all is renewed, and love is rising in the eyes of Nanjing;
A great power rejuvenated, the nation’s landscapes a vista, as flow the tides of the world and springtime.
Jiqing Men
集盛世雄风，将虎翼抖开，把春天拥抱；
庆中华伟业，正龙头抬起，催梦想腾飞。
Gather the strong winds of this prosperous age, shaking its tiger wings and embracing spring;
Celebrate the great cause of China, uplifting its dragon head and urging the dream to lift off.
Zhonghua Men
喜迎六合春，春登虎榜写前言：幸福源于奋斗；
纵览百年史，史铸龙魂传后裔：人民就是江山。
As spring is welcomed across the land, the tiger’s preface is written and a springtime notice issued: happiness comes from struggle;
As we look at our centennial history, the dragon’s past is cast and its soul passed down: the people our nation’s true sovereignty.
Qingliang Men
叶落楼前，每自清凉生境界；
花开雪里，犹从砥砺见精神。
Leaves fall in front of buildings, each and every one refreshing our realm;
Flowers bloom in the snow, as if encouraging the return of our vitality.
Xuanwu Men
五洲紫燕争鸣，邀玄武迎春，大行虎步；
九域华章再启，请金陵主笔，直点龙睛。
Purple swallows from all five continents contend, inviting Xuanwu to welcome the spring, walking its tiger steps;
China arises once again, pleasing Jinling to compose a verse, a polishing masterstroke its genius.
Yijiang Men
发时代先声，挹得春声，一江水暖龙吟碧；
养乾坤清气，凝成福气，两岸梅香虎点红。
The first voice of the times, the sound of spring, the warmth of the river is the call of a dragon;
The nourishing of heaven and earth, the condensing of its blessings, revolution on both sides is the call of the plum flower and tiger.
Hanxi Men
气壮石城，汉西先啸一声虎；
锦铺春色，画里早啼几树莺。
By the majestic Stone City, in Hanxi Men first roars a tiger;
In the spring of a brocade shop, a few tree warblers are the painting’s first song.
Jiefang Men
解语绽春花，赖国策清明，典范金陵添虎翼;
放歌舒浩气，喜民生富裕，和谐玉局起鸿图。
Understanding blooms in spring, governing purity a national obligation, Jinling a paragon by adding tiger wings:
Setting free songs to relax our vast spirit, livelihood people’s prosperity to enjoy, harmony as jade raising grand prospects.
Shence Men
神来之笔，融康乐于面图里;
策运以春，让人民居幸福中。
By the hand of God, well-being is integrated into the picture;
Its plan brings fortune to spring, allowing people to live in happiness.
Wuding Men
尚武亦崇文，国定民安，践约春归长乐路;
迎新犹纳福，牛欢虎跃，抒情花筷小康年。
Upholding martial arts and culture, ensuring national stability and people’s safety, and practicing the promise of returning to Changle Road in spring;
See in the new year and accept a life of ease, the cow retires pleased as the tiger leaps, with lyrical flowers and chopsticks for a prosperous harvest.
Yifeng Men
形胜属金陵，果然山色青苍，江声浩荡;
物华呈紫气，依日门迎彩凤，天涌祥云。
The blessing belongs to Jinling, the mountains are for sure deep green, the sound of the river vast;
Purple Cloud belongs to our natural scenery, welcoming the sun’s colourful Phoenix, the sky filled with magic clouds.
Biaoying Men
当年营虎旅，白下霜寒，楼头画角声威壮；
此际怡鸢啼，月牙湖绿，柳外春天颜色新。
In those days when the tiger strived forth, Baixai’s frosts made us tremble, we painted prestigious paintings of our battlements;
Then a pleased little hawk crowed, the Crescent Moon Lake was green, the willows outside were coloured anew for spring.
Taiping Men
金陵梅放，将绿码点开，报太平盛世;
玉宇雪飘，把红联贴出，迎和美新春。
Jinling Plum Flowers are freed to show their greenery, revealing peace and prosperity;
While red couplets adorn our magnificent palaces, welcoming a harmonious Spring Festival.
