Chinese Fish Yin Yang Symbol in Chinese...

不撒大網不得大魚 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [if one does] not cast a big net, [one can] not get big fish.

Figuratively, this means: One cannot make great accomplishments without making great efforts or taking great pains.

This is sort of the fishing version of, “No pain, no gain.”

中醫 is how to write “Chinese traditional medicine.”

The original medicine consists of herbal remedies derived from over 3000 years of research.

竜 is an alternate form of the dragon.

Still pronounced the same in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

This particular Kanji is often associated as an imperial symbol as well as representing the mythical Asian dragon. You may have seen it on the chest or flag of the emperor in old Japanese and Chinese movies.

Note: I would rate this as a non-universal alternate form. The other dragon character is by far more common, and universally understood.

We strongly recommend if you are looking for the symbol of dragon.

See Also:  Phoenix | Emperor | King

In 632 BC, Duke Wen of the Kingdom of Jin was about to lead an army against the forces of the Kingdom of Chu.
The Duke asked one of his advisers, Jiu Fan, how they could win the impending battle, as they were drastically outnumbered.
Jiu Fan said, “All is fair in war,” and suggested a plan of dishonorable tactics (cheating).
The Duke was unsure of this advice, so he asked another adviser, Yong Ji, who replied, “If you catch fish by draining the pond, you can certainly get all the fish. But there will be no fish the following year. You can cheat this one time in battle, but such tactics can only be used once, as the enemy will be wise in future encounters.”

The Duke heard the words of his wiser adviser but cheated to gain victory in the battle. However, he rewarded Yong Ji more than Jiu Fan at the victory celebration, stating that while Jiu Fan's advice gained one victory, the wise words of Yong Ji would last forever.

This Chinese idiom/proverb is still used, over 2600 years later to remind people not to burn bridges, cheat, or dishonor themselves in exchange for a short-term gain while sacrificing the future.

竭澤而漁 is very similar to the meaning of the English phrase, “Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.”

魚 is the character that means fish in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

觀世音 is an alternate title for Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion or Goddess of Mercy.

觀世音 is the Buddhist bestower of children, the protector of life and all in distress (especially of those at sea).

精, 氣, 神 are the characters jing, qi, and shen.

As a set, these three characters are known in English as the treasures of traditional Chinese medicine, the treasures of Qi Gong, or the three treasures of Taoism / Daoism.

Sometimes this set is titled 三寶 (sānbǎo) or “three treasures,” but here, we're writing each treasure out.

Here's how these characters are perceived in this context...
Jing: nutritive essence; refined; perfected; pure
Qi: vitality; energy; force; breath; vigor
Shen: spirit; soul; mind; being

To keep it simple, you can use “essence, vitality, and spirit” to define these.

鯉 is the Japanese Kanji that created the title “koi fish.” 鯉 is pronounced “koi” in Japanese.

Here is the reality: 鯉 actually means “carp” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. Koi fish really are carp (by species) and were bred to obtain colorful variations in ancient China. Some generations later, some of these colorful fish were transported to Japan, where they also became vastly popular.

Note: Please see our other entry for koi fish (Nishiki Goi) which is a more normal selection for a Japanese koi fish enthusiast to have on their wall.

鯉魚 is one Chinese title for what westerners call “koi fish.”

This literally means “carp fish” (which is what koi fish really are).

You probably want the other title, which is more specific to the colorful fish that you are thinking of. Look for “Nishiki Goi” on our website.

If you like or collect and maintain koi fish, 錦鯉 is the wall scroll for you.

Technically, this is a certain and revered species of “koi fish” in Japan, but it is the most normal selection for a wall scroll (more normal than the actual Kanji for “koi” or “fish” alone.

This literally means “brocade carp” or “embroidered carp.” This term is also used to mean the same thing in China (which is the origin of koi fish breeding and cultivation, several generations before they became popular in Japan).

For those of you that don't know, the Kanji for “koi” (which is pronounced “goi” in this entry) really means “carp.” If you want the word that means “koi fish,” it would just be the generic word for “carp fish.” That would include both colorful carp and the more mundane gray carp (the ones people eat if they don't mind lots of bones).

大光明 is the master symbol “Daikomyo” or “Dai Ko Myo,” which is usually associated with the healing practice of Reiki.

This title can be translated as “Great Bright Light.” This symbol, as used in Reiki, alludes to “Enlightened Nature” or the radiance of a purified soul or deity.

Pronunciations in Chinese and Korean are included above but this title has no meaning except when used by a Reiki practitioner. In fact, this title is not that well known by those outside the Reiki community in Japan.

In Chinese, this would be interpreted as “Great Bright Future” (the second two characters alone create a word that means “bright future” in Chinese).

將軍 is the more Chinese and Korean Hanja version or General.

There is a slight variation in the way the first character is written compared to the Japanese Shogun (将軍) title. So if you want to specifically refer to a Chinese or Korean General, this is the way. Japanese people would still easily identify this as “shogun.”

Note: This term is also used for Admiral in Korean in a certain context (if you need a better title for Admiral, just let me know).

鼈 refers to a species of turtle.

鼈 is Trionyx Sinensis.

鼈 refers to different turtles in different languages. See individual language notes below:

Japanese: 鼈 means “snapping turtle” or “mud turtle.” But rarely used as a single Kanji like this in Japanese.

Chinese: 鼈 means soft-shelled turtle. A specific species, Trionyx Sinensis is native to Asia.
In China, this species is related to the “wang ba,” a soft-shelled turtle sometimes known in English as a banjo turtle (due to its long neck, and general shape). Unfortunately, there is a word, “wang ba dan” which means the egg of this species of turtle. That term has come to mean “bastard” in Chinese (a turtle hatches from an abandoned egg, and does not know who his mother or father is). 鼈 is not a good selection for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese.

In Korean, this character can be pronounced (though most Koreans would have to look it up in a dictionary). It has not been in common use in Korea for at least a few hundred years.

General notes: You may notice that the bottom half of this character is the same as some other turtle-related titles. That bottom half is actually an ancient character that means “toad.” Though not seen in this way today, most turtle-related characters hold the meaning of “a toad with a shell” in their ancient origin. That toad character is rarely used alone anymore but you can see what it looks like in the image to the right.

授人以魚不如授人以漁 is the Chinese version of the proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

This implies that knowledge is the best charity.

扳機魚 is the Chinese title for the Trigger Fish.

陰陽 literally means yin and yang in written form (versus the common yin-yang symbol). The first character has the element of the moon, while the second character has the element of the sun so that you can see, even in written form, they suggest the balance of opposites (of night and day). You could also translate this title as “sun and moon.”

Note: This title is often misspelled as Ying Yang instead of Yin Yang.

See Also:  Taoism

水瓶座 is the Chinese and Japanese way to write Aquarius (water bearer) of western astrology.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

牡羊座 is the Chinese and Japanese way to write Aries (ram) of western astrology.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

白羊座 is an alternate Chinese way to write Aries (ram) from 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

巨蟹座 is the Chinese way to write Cancer (crab) from western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Chinese (see the other version if Japanese is your audience).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

蟹座 is the Japanese way to write Cancer (crab) of western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Japanese (see the other version if Chinese is your audience).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

山羊座 is the Chinese and Japanese way to write Capricorn (horned goat) from western astrology.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

摩羯座 is an alternate Chinese way to write Capricorn (horned goat) from 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

雙子座 is the Chinese way to write Gemini (twins) of western astrology.

This was also the version used in Japan until they simplified the first Kanji to 双 after WWII. If you need the modern Japanese 双子座 instead of the older 雙子座, just let me know when you place your order.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

雙子座 is the Japanese way to write Gemini (twins) from western astrology.

This also happens to be the Simplified Chinese version of this title - however, I recommend the Traditional Chinese version if your audience is Chinese.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

獅子座 is the Chinese and Japanese way to write Leo (lion) of western astrology.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

天秤座 is the Chinese and Japanese way to write Libra (scales) of western astrology.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

蛇夫座 is the Chinese way to write Ophiuchus (the serpent bearer) of western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Chinese (not Japanese).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

雙魚座 is the Chinese way to write Pisces (fish) from western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Chinese (see the other version if Japanese is your audience).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

魚座 is the Japanese way to write Pisces (fish) of western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Japanese (see the other version if Chinese is your audience).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

射手座 is the Chinese and Japanese way to write Sagittarius (archer) of western astrology.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

天蠍座 is the Chinese way to write Scorpio (scorpion) from western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Chinese (see the other version if Japanese is your audience).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

蠍座 is the Japanese way to write Scorpio (scorpion) of western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Japanese (see the other version if Chinese is your audience).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

金牛座 is the Chinese way to write Taurus (bull) from western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Chinese (see the other version if Japanese is your audience).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

牡牛座 is the Japanese way to write Taurus (bull) from western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Japanese (see the other version if Chinese is your audience).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

處女座 is the Chinese way to write Virgo (virgin) from western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Chinese (see the other version if Japanese is your audience).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

乙女座 is the Japanese way to write Virgo (virgin) from western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Japanese (see the other version if Chinese is your audience).

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac