Bai2 in Chinese / Japanese...

A lot of people search our website for "white". I am not sure the purpose, unless your family name is white.

白 is the universal character for white in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

In certain context, outside of the white definition, it can mean snowy, empty, blank, bright, clear, plain, pure, innocence or gratuitous. In Korean, this can be a family name romanized as Paek or Baeg.

This literally means "white bear".

白熊 is a way to say "polar bear" (Ursus maritimus) in Chinese and Japanese.

This can also be the Japanese surname Shirokuma.

白鶴 means White Crane.

This title directly means "White Crane" in Chinese but in English, this particular crane is referred to as the "red-crowned crane" or "Grus Japonensis". This crane is mostly white with a red bill (crown).

白龍 is a sophisticated or scholarly way to say, "White Dragon". 白龍 is the title you'd expect in ancient Chinese literature.

The first character means white, pure, or bright.

The second character means dragon.

The White Dragon represents a king who is virtuous and pure.

白鵠 is the Chinese title for white swan.

It literally has the same meaning in Japanese but is used more often as the female given name, Akiko in Japan.

白虎 is the title "White Tiger" in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean Hanja.

In Chinese folklore, the White Tiger rules or represents the seven mansions (constellations) of the west sky. However, in modern Chinese, a "white tiger" is also slang for hairless female genitalia (be careful about this, as Chinese men might secretly laugh or snicker when they see your white tiger wall scroll).

In Japanese folklore, the White Tiger is a god said to rule over the western heavens. They also know of the Chinese seven mansions of the western heavens. In Japanese, this can also be the given name Byakko.

白鷹派 is the title "Bai Ying Pai" or "White Eagle School".

The first character means white.
The second means eagle, falcon, and/or hawk.
The third means school (as in the school or style of martial arts).

太白星 is the specific title for planet Venus in Chinese and Japanese Kanji.

白鶴拳 is the title for White Crane Fist style of martial arts.

白鶴拳 is also known as "Baihequan" or "Fujian White Crane".

白羊座 is an alternate Chinese way to write Aries (ram) of western astrology.

I don't believe it is used at all in Japanese, so the other version is probably better or at least more universal.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

白蘭度 is the name Brando in Chinese (Mandarin).

白俄羅斯 is the Chinese name for the country of Belarus or Byelorussia.

The meaning is roughly, "White Russia".

伊麗莎白 is the name Elisabeth in Chinese (Mandarin).

伊麗莎白 is the name Elizabeth in Chinese (Mandarin).

This Chinese proverb means (to live together until the) white hairs of old age.

白頭偕老 is the Chinese way to say, "to live to a ripe old age in conjugal bliss" or "until death do us part".

This Chinese proverb means, "Without anger or worry, you will have a long life, until after all your hair is white".

It more literally reads, "Don't get angry or worried [and you will] live [long] till [all your] hair [becomes] white".

Literally this says: [Just as] white liquor makes people's faces turn red, [So] yellow gold makes people's hearts turn black.

This is a warning about the nature of greed. The suggestion is that one who lusts for gold and riches, will eventually have a black heart (or become a heartless greedy bastard). As a wall scroll, this is a reminder and warning to keep yourself from following the greedy path.

This literally translates as: [If one does] not do bad things in the daytime, one need not be alarmed at knocks on the door in the middle of the night.

The meaning is something like, "A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder". Basically, the message is, "don't commit crimes and you won't be jumpy every time the doorbell rings (so don't do anything wrong and your life will have fewer worries and you can sleep at night)".

This literally translates as: It doesn't matter [if a] cat [is] black [or] white, [as long as it] can catch mice, it's a good cat.

This proverb was either composed or made famous by Deng XiaoPing in 1961 when he exclaimed, "I don't care if it's a white cat or a black cat. It's a good cat so long as it catches mice" when his critics pointed out that his ideas were Capitalistic (free market). The response was meant to say, "It does not matter if it's Communist or Capitalist, as long as it works".

This Chinese proverb can be used to suggest one should disregard looks or a person's race, as long as they can do the job. It can also be used as a metaphor for many other situations.

Deng XiaoPing probably saved China from collapse (as the Soviet Union experienced). He changed China’s economy from pure Communism to a hybrid where the free market (Capitalism) is encouraged. More about Deng XiaoPing

This poem was written almost 1200 years ago during the Tang dynasty.

It depicts traveling up a place known as Cold Mountain, where some hearty people have built their homes. The traveler is overwhelmed by the beauty of the turning leaves of the maple forest that surrounds him just as night overtakes the day, and darkness prevails. His heart implores him to stop, and take in all of the beauty around him.

First before you get to the full translation, I must tell you that Chinese poetry is a lot different than what we have in the west. Chinese words simply don't rhyme in the same way that English, or other western languages do. Chinese poetry depends on rhythm and a certain beat of repeated numbers of characters.

I have done my best to translate this poem keeping a certain feel of the original poet. But some of the original beauty of the poem in it's original Chinese will be lost in translation.

Far away on Cold Mountain, a stone path leads upwards.
Among white clouds, people's homes reside.
Stopping my carriage I must, as to admire the maple forest at nights fall.
In awe of autumn leaves showing more red than even flowers of early spring.

Hopefully, this poem will remind you to stop, and "take it all in" as you travel through life.
The poet's name is "Du Mu" in Chinese that is: .
The title of the poem, "Mountain Travels" is:
You can have the title, poet's name, and even Tang Dynasty written as an inscription on your custom wall scroll if you like.

More about the poet:

Dumu lived from 803-852 AD and was a leading Chinese poet during the later part of the Tang dynasty.
He was born in Chang'an, a city of central China and former capital of the ancient Chinese empire in 221-206 BC. In present-day China, his birthplace is currently known as Xi'an, the home of the Terracotta Soldiers.

He was awarded his Jinshi degree (an exam administered by the emperor's court which leads to becoming an official of the court) at the age of 25, and went on to hold many official positions over the years. However, he never achieved a high rank, apparently because of some disputes between various factions, and his family's criticism of the government. His last post in the court was his appointment to the office of Secretariat Drafter.

During his life, he wrote scores of narrative poems, as well as a commentary on the Art of War and many letters of advice to high officials.

His poems were often very realistic, and often depicted every day life. He wrote poems about everything, from drinking beer in a tavern to weepy poems about lost love.

The thing that strikes you most is the fact even after 1200 years, not much has changed about the beauty of nature, toils and troubles of love and beer drinking.