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Here is 1 Peter 3:13 in Chinese.

The text with punctuation:
你们若是热心行善，有谁害你们呢？

Hand-painted calligraphy does not retain punctuation.

This translation is from the Chinese Union Bible.

You may know it from the KJV as:
And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

百年好合 is a wish or greeting, often heard at Chinese weddings, for a couple to have 100 good years together.

Some will translate this more naturally into English as: “May you live a long and happy life together.”

The character breakdown:
百 = 100
年 = Years
好 = Good (Happy)
合 = Together

千慮一得 means “1000 tries, one success,” or “[a] thousand tries [leads to] one success.”

This proverb is a humble way to express your success, ideas, or accomplishments. As if you are a fool who just got lucky in inventing or creating something.

Translations for this proverb include:
Even without any notable ability on my part, I may still get it right sometimes by good luck.
Even a fool may sometimes come up with a good idea.

Compare this to the English idiom, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

紅五蝠 is a play on words in Chinese because of some homophones.

The first thing you need to know is that the word for bat, 蝠, sounds exactly like the word for good fortune, 福. Thus, bats are often associated with good luck and good fortune in Chinese culture.

Five bats (五福 / 五蝠) means “five fortunes,” referring to luck, prosperity, wealth, happiness, and longevity.

The word red, 红, has the same sound as 宏 meaning vast, great, or magnificent. Therefore, a red bat means “vast fortune.”

Altogether, five red bats represent vast reaches of the five fortunes.

正精進 is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right Effort, along with Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration, constitute the path to Concentration or Perfect Thought.

The proper effort is not the effort to make something particular happen. It is the effort to be aware and awake in each moment, the effort to overcome laziness and defilement, and the effort to make each activity of our daily meditation. This concept is about pursuing wholesome things that promote good karma.

Another definition: Cultivation of what is karmically wholesome and avoidance of what is karmically unwholesome.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also:  Buddhism | Enlightenment | Noble Eightfold Path

年年有餘 is a common proverb or wish of prosperity you'll hear around the time of Chinese New Year.

Directly translated character by character, it means “Year Year Have Surplus.” A more natural English translation including the deeper meaning would be “Every Year may you Have Abundance in your life.”

On a side note, this phrase often goes with a gift of something related to fish. This is because the last character, “yu” which means surplus or abundance, has exactly the same pronunciation in Mandarin as the word for “fish.”

This is also one of the most common titles for traditional paintings that feature koi fish.

In China, this phrase might make an odd wall scroll - a customer asked especially for this common phrase which is why it appears here. See my other abundance-related words if you want a wall scroll that will seem more comfortable in Chinese culture.

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly used term.

See Also:  Prosperity | Good Fortune

富裕 means prosperous, having an abundance, well-to-do, or well-off.

It's a simple word that suggests “you have made it” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja.

See Also:  Good Fortune

繁榮富裕 is a proverb about “Prosperity and Abundance.”

This presents and reinforces the ideas of being prosperous, a booming economy, well-to-do, well-off, wealthy, riches, and opulence.

While this is the ancient/traditional Chinese way to write this, most Japanese can fully read and understand it. It's also the correct form of old Korean Hanja (though few Koreans of the current generation will be able to read this).

See Also:  Good Fortune

This is a good and common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angeline.

道天地將法 is a list of five key points to analyzing your situation from the first chapter of Sun Tzu's Art of War.

This reads like a 5-part military proverb. Sun Tzu says that to sharpen your skills, you must plan. To plan well, you must know your situation. Therefore, you must consider and discuss the following:

1. Philosophy and Politics: Make sure your way or your policy is agreeable among all of your troops (and the citizens of your kingdom as well). For when your soldiers believe in you and your way, they will follow you to their deaths without hesitation and will not question your orders.

2. Heaven/Sky: Consider climate / weather. This can also mean considering whether God is smiling upon you. In the modern military, this could be waiting for clear skies so that you can have air support for an amphibious landing.

3. Ground/Earth: Consider the terrain in which the battle will take place. This includes analyzing defensible positions, and exit routes, while using varying elevations to your advantage. When you plan an ambush, you must know your terrain and the best location from which to stage that ambush. This knowledge will also help you avoid being ambushed, as you will know where the likely places in which to expect an ambush from your enemy.

4. Leadership: This applies to you as the general and your lieutenants. A leader should be smart and be able to develop good strategies. Leaders should keep their word, and if they break a promise, they should punish themselves as harshly as they would punish subordinates. Leaders should be benevolent to their troops, with almost a fatherly love for them. Leaders must have the ability to make brave and fast decisions. Leaders must have steadfast principles.

5. [Military] Methods: This can also mean laws, rules, principles, models, or systems. You must have an efficient organization in place to manage both your troops and supplies. In the modern military, this would be a combination of how your unit is organized and your SOP (Standard Operating Procedure).

Notes: This is a simplistic translation and explanation. Much more is suggested in the actual text of the Art of War (Bing Fa). It would take a lot of study to master all of these aspects. In fact, these five characters can be compared to the modern military acronyms such as BAMCIS or SMEAC.

CJK notes: I have included the Japanese and Korean pronunciations but in Chinese, Korean and Japanese, this does not make a typical phrase (with subject, verb, and object) it is a list that only someone familiar with Sun Tzu’s writings would understand.

鴻鵠之誌 is a Chinese proverb that implies that having grand ambitions also means that others will not understand your great expectations and ideas.

Though the actual words come from a longer saying of Confucius, which goes, “The little swallows living under the eaves wouldn't understand the lofty ambitions of a swan (who flies far and wide).”

This Confucius quote has led to this idiomatic expression in China that means “think big.” What you'd be saying is “The lofty ambitions of a swan.”

Note that Chinese people sometimes refer to the little swallow as one who does not “think big” but is, instead, stuck in a rut or just leading a mundane life. Therefore, it's a compliment to be called a swan but not a good thing to be called a swallow.

不怕千招会只怕一招熟 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Do not worry about making a thousand clever moves; what [one has to] fear is one bad move.

Figuratively, this means: Even if you have made many clever moves before, one wrong move will ruin the whole game.

I compare this to the English saying, “It takes only one Aw-shit to wipe out a thousand Attaboys.”

蝠 is the simplest way to write bat in Chinese and old Korean Hanja.

This also means bat in Japanese but is almost never written alone like this (it's often part of other titles for vampire bats or fruit bats).

In Chinese culture, the bat is a good luck charm, as the pronunciation is very similar to the word for “good luck” or “good fortune.” The character for bat (蝠) even looks like the good luck (福) character.

美 is often used to describe the beauty of a woman.

However, when applied to a man, it can mean handsome. It's also the first character in the word for “beauty salon” which you will see all over China and Japan.

This can be used as the given name for a girl (spell it or say it as “Mei” or “May”).

For a bit of trivia: The title for the “USA” in Chinese is “Mei Guo” which literally means “Beautiful Country.” This name was bestowed at a time before Chairman Mao came to power and decided that China didn't like the USA anymore (even though we fought together against the Japanese in WWII). But these days, Chinese people love Americans (but have a distaste for American politics and policy). But I digress...

美 is also how “Beautiful” is written in Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja. 美 can also mean: very satisfactory; good; to be pleased with oneself; abbreviation for the USA; fine; handsome; admirable; madhura; sweet; and/or pleasant.

See Also:  Beautiful Woman | Beautiful Girl

和美 is a word that means “harmonious” or, “in perfect harmony.”

The deeper meaning or more natural translation would be something like, “beautiful life.”

The first character means peace and harmony.

The second character means beautiful. But in this case, when combined with the first character, beautiful refers to being satisfied with what you have in your life. This can be having good relations, good feelings, comfort, and having enough (with no feeling of wanting).

Note: In Japanese, this is often used as the name "Wami." This title is probably more appropriate if your audience is Chinese.

Any woman with affection for Asian art will love a gift of this Chinese proverb calligraphy on a wall scroll.

She will melt in your arms as you tell her the meaning of these characters.

Contained in this phrase is a reference to the most beautiful woman in Chinese history. Her name was Xi Shi, and she was known to have good looks that need not have fine robes or makeup. Her charms were so powerful that she brought down an entire kingdom (in a successful effort to bring honor and pride back to her people).

情人眼里出西施 is a great way to express that the woman in your life is your one love.

仁慈 word is used in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Asian Buddhism to relay the important idea of loving kindness.

仁慈 can also be defined as: benevolent; charitable; kind; merciful; kind-hearted; benevolence; kindness; humanity; mercy.

In Japanese, this can also be the given name Hitoji. This would also be a good Mandarin Chinese given name romanized as Jentzu (in Taiwan) or Renci (which sounds like ren-tsuh).

See Also:  Love | Altruism | Kindness | Charity

至愛 can mean the best love or most sincere love of your life.

This could be a romantic love such as your love for your spouse or a boyfriend/girlfriend.

It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent and maybe a really good friend.

See Also:  I Love You

最愛 is a Japanese word that means the best love, beloved, or most sincere love of your life.

This could be a romantic love such as your love for your spouse or a boyfriend/girlfriend.

It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent and maybe a really good friend.

至交 is an alternate way to say best friend in Chinese.

The first character can mean “most,” “extreme” or “best.” The second character means “making friends” or “building friendship.” There's sort of a suggestion with the second character that fate caused you to intersect in life and become friends (that character can mean intersection in some context).

This can also mean “most intimate friend,” “very good friend of long-standing,” or “closest friend.”

See Also:  Friendship | Soulmates

親友 is the Japanese way to say “best friend.”

The first character can mean “relative” or sometimes “parents.” The second character means “friend.” Think about the close relationship that Japanese people have with their parents and relatives, and this starts to mean “close friends.”

Some Japanese-English dictionaries also translate this as “bosom friend,” “old friend,” “intimate friend,” “buddy,” “crony” or “chum.”

Note that in Chinese, this means “relatives and friends.” It's a good meaning in Chinese, but it's not quite the same as “best friends.”

莫逆の友 is Japanese expressing meaning “excellent friends” or “best friends.”

不管黑猫白猫能捉着老鼠的就是好猫 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 is a Chinese proverb that 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

五福臨門 means “five good fortunes arrive [at the] door.”

It is understood to mean “may the five blessings descend upon this home.”

These blessings are known in ancient China to be: longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and natural death (living to old age). This is one of several auspicious sayings you might hear during the Chinese New Year.

祝福 is a nice way to give good wishes to someone.

It can be a general blessing or used to congratulate someone for a special occasion or graduation.

This has a good meaning in Japanese but is more appropriate when expressed orally. 祝福 is not a natural selection for a wall scroll if your audience is Japanese.

菩薩 is the title of a Buddhist deity that exists to help you reach enlightenment.

In Buddhist beliefs, a bodhisattva (bodhisatta) is dedicated to helping us achieve enlightenment. Bodhisattva means enlightenment truth which is bodhi sattva in Sanskrit.

This term is sometimes used to refer to a kindhearted person, one who will sacrifice himself/herself for others and lacks ego or desire but is instead devoted to the good and well-being of others.

See Also:  Buddha | Namo Amitabha

破浪 can be translated from Chinese as “braving the waves” or “bravely setting sail.”

It literally means: “break/cleave/cut [the] waves.”

破浪 is a great title to encourage yourself or someone else not to be afraid of problems or troubles.

Because of the context, this is especially good for sailors or yachtsmen and surfers too.

Note: While this can be understood in Japanese, it's not commonly used in Japan. Therefore, please consider this to be primarily a Chinese proverb.

百胜难虑敌三折乃良医 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [Even a general who has won a] hundred victories [may be] hard put to see through the enemy's [strategy], [but one who has] broken [his] arm three [times] [will] be a good doctor.

Figuratively, this means: One cannot always depend on past successes to guarantee future success but one can always learn from lessons drawn from failure.

See Also:  Failure - Mother of Success | Experience - Mother of Success | Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 | Hard Knocks

勤求 is a complex word that means inquiring in the Buddha way.

To put it another way, it is seeking something in the right way, at the right time, and diligently seeking only truth or the good.

佛心 means the Buddha's mind, Buddha-heart, or the spiritually enlightened heart/mind.

The Buddha Heart is detached from good and evil and other such constructs. The Buddha Heart has mercy, compassion, and loving-kindness for all sentient life, the good, the wicked, and all in between.

The heart and mind (心) are the same concepts in the ancient Orient, so you can use heart and mind interchangeably in this context.

冷靜 means calm and cool-headed in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Other translations: calmness, composure, coolness, serenity, tranquility.

冷靜 is a good wall scroll for someone that wants to remind themselves to stay calm and level-headed.

See Also:  Sober Calm

關心 means caring in Chinese.

Caring is giving love and attention to people and things that matter to you and anyone who needs help. When you care about people, you help them. You do a careful job, giving your very best effort. You treat people and things gently and respectfully. Caring makes the world a safer place.

Note: 關心 is also a word in Korean Hanja, but in Korean, it means taking interest or concern. In Korean, it's still a good word, but it doesn't quite have the “caring for a person” meaning that it does in Chinese.

See Also:  Benevolence | Altruism

選擇生活 can mean to choose life instead of death (or suicide) or to choose to live life to the fullest.

I think of it as the key phrase used by Renton (Ewan McGregor) in the movie Trainspotting. While Chinese people will not think of Trainspotting when they see this phrase, for me, it will always be what comes near the end of this colorful rant:

Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin can openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite on-hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life.

福音 is the Chinese, Korean and Japanese word for “Gospel” or “Word of God.”

福音 is a specifically Christian word in Asia (not used for any other religion).

The first character means blessing, good fortune, or good luck. This first character is a special character used throughout China to bring good tidings and fortune - especially during Chinese New Year. The second character means sound, noise, or news.

Together, these characters create a word that means “The Good News” or “The Sound of Good Fortune.”

When read by a Chinese or Japanese person, this word is always perceived as “The Christian Gospel,” “Word of God,” or even “The Voice of God.”

See Also:  Christianity | Jesus Christ | God of Abraham

The meanings for 妙 include: clever; wonderful; strange; unusual; superb; excellent; beautiful; mystic; supernatural; profound; mysterious; good; surpassing; fine, lovely, charming; special; outstanding; incomparable.

As you can see, this single character can mean a lot of things (a bit ambiguous).

金似金挨玉似玉 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [One who is] close to gold [is] like gold [and one who is] close to jade [is] like jade.

Figuratively, this means:
A good environment produces good people.
People are influenced by the company they keep.

Basically, if you hang out with good people, you are likely to become or stay good yourself. The opposite also is true. 挨This is like the moral version of “You are what you eat.”

Note: In Japanese, they have a similar phrase, 類は友を呼ぶ (rui wa tomo o yobu) Birds of a feather flock together. However, this is not a good meaning, so we’re not offering it for wall scrolls.

不比不知道一比吓一跳 is a Chinese proverb that literally means: [If one not does] not make comparisons, [one will] not know [the truth] when [one] compares, [one will be] greatly surprised.

This goes to the idea that if you do not know bad times, you cannot know what good times are.
...And...
You can not know light without experiencing darkness.

Another way to translate this would be: If you wish to be enlightened, you need to make comparisons and analyze every aspect (of a situation, issue, or problem).

This proverb, 志于道据于德依于仁游于艺, from the Analects of Confucius translates as:

Resolve yourself in the Dao/Tao/Way.
Rely on Virtue.
Reside in benevolence.
Revel in the arts.

According to Confucius, these are the tenets of good and proper conduct.

This was written over 2500 years ago. The composition is in ancient Chinese grammar and phrasing. A modern Chinese person would need a background in Chinese literature to understand this without the aid of a reference.

見義勇為 means the courage to do what is right in Chinese.

This could also be translated as “Never hesitate to do what is right.”

This comes from Confucian thought:
Your courage should head in an honorable direction. For example, you should take action when the goal is to attain a just result as, without honorable intent, a person’s gutsy fervor can easily lead them astray.

One who flaunts courage but disregards justice is bound to do wrong; someone who possesses courage and morality is destined to become a hero.

Some text above paraphrased from The World of Chinese - The Character of 勇

See Also:  Work Unselfishly for the Common Good | Justice | Bravery

禮貌 is a Chinese and old Korean word that means courtesy or politeness.

Courtesy is being polite and having good manners. When you speak and act courteously, you give others a feeling of being valued and respected. Greet people pleasantly. Bring courtesy home. Your family needs it most of all. Courtesy helps life to go smoothly.

If you put the words "fēi cháng bù" in front of this, it is like adding "very much not." it’s a great insult in China, as nobody wants to be called "extremely discourteous" or "very much impolite."

See Also:  Kindness | Respect

狂 is a single character that means “crazy” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

狂 means crazy, unrestrained, lunatic, insane, confused, deranged, wild, or mad.

This can also refer to an extreme enthusiast (like a football fan). But then, it can also refer to a person possessing a mental abnormality.

In some contexts, this can mean conceited (it probably won't be read that way on a wall scroll).

A warning: 狂 is an odd selection for a wall scroll. You should only order this if you plan to bewilder or confuse those who see it. It kind of says something about you, something that most native Asian people will not view in a good light.

雛菊 is how they write “daisy” in Chinese and Japanese.

This is a good choice if you love daisies, or your name is Daisy. If you translated it directly, this means “chick flower” (as in baby chickens) or “baby chrysanthemum.” Of course, when an Asian person reads this, they just think “daisy.”

If you're into botany, this title represents “Bellis Perennis.”

In Japanese, this can be the female given name, Hinagiku.

信言不美美言不信知者不博博者不知善者不多多者不善聖人無積既以為人己癒有既以予人矣已癒多故天之道利而不害聖人之道為而不爭 is the Mawangdui version of Daodejing chapter 81.

This text is the ninth chapter of the Daodejing / Tao Te Ching.

The text reads:
持而盈之、不如其已。揣而梲之、不可長保。 金玉滿堂、莫之能守。 富貴而驕、自遺其咎。 功遂身退、天之道。

This classical Chinese passage comes from the Mawangdui (馬王堆帛書) text.

達磨 in Japanese usually refers to Daruma, a tumbling doll with a round red-painted body.

In Japan, Daruma is a good-luck doll which is supposed to in the shape of Bodhidharma, with a blank eye to be completed when a person's wish is granted.

達磨 is also Bodhidharma or Dharma. 達磨 comes from an ancient word that means holding fast and keeping ordinances, statutes, laws, or practice.

This is also a title for Damo, or Bodhidharma, the twenty-eighth Indian and first Chinese patriarch, who arrived in China A.D. 520, the reputed founder of the Chan or Intuitional School in China. He is described as son of a king in southern India. He famously engaged in silent meditation for nine years.

尊厳死 is not a good choice for a wall scroll unless you have a very specific and personal reason.

This was added at the request of a customer.

尊厳死 means “death with dignity” or “natural death” (as opposed to extending one's life unnaturally with life support).

This is the place name Denver (as in Denver, Colorado), in Chinese.

Also good if your name happens to be Denver.

This is the place name Denver (as in Denver, Colorado), in Japanese.

Also good if your name happens to be Denver.

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

慾 means desire, longing, appetite, wish, covetousness, greed, passion, desire, avarice, and craving.

慾 is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja.

The context in which this character is used determines whether the meaning is good or bad. As a single character on a wall scroll, you get to decide what the definition is to you (hopefully more toward desire than greed).

Please note that Japanese use a simplified version of this character - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version of desire.

命 is often translated as “destiny.”

Sometimes this character is simply translated as “life” but more in terms of one's lot in life. In a certain context, this can mean command or decree (generally from a king or emperor). Of course, such a decree is part of fate and leads you to fulfill your destiny.

In Chinese, this word leans toward the fate or destiny definition.
In Korean, it is usually read simply as “life.”
In Japanese, it can mean all definitions shown above, depending on context.

See Also:  Good Fortune

緣份 specifically represents the fate or destiny that brings two people together.

This is like the chance meeting of two people that leads sometime later to marriage.

This could also be the chance meeting of two business people who become partners and build a huge and successful company.

This idea is often associated with a fateful meeting leading to good fortune.

Some will define this word as “Destiny brings you two together” or “Meant to be.”

Note: The second character can also be written without the left radical, as shown to the right. If you have a preference, please let use know in the special instructions for your project. There is no difference in meaning or pronunciation, just two (alternate) ways to write the same character.

See Also:  Soulmates | Good Fortune

These two characters contain the ideas of fate, destiny, fortune, and luck in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

運命 is often defined as “a person's fate” or “personal fate” in various dictionaries.

These two characters can be reversed (written in either order) and yield roughly the same meaning.

This particular character order is more common in old Korean and less common in modern Chinese.

See Also:  Good Fortune | Good Luck

專心 makes a word that means “paying attention with your heart.”

It's often translated as “dedication,” as in “be absorbed in” or “concentrate one's efforts.” It's also used to mean “with the single mind,” “whole-heartedly,” “paying attention,” “undivided attention,” “concentration (-ed),” “engrossed,” “devotionally (listening/watching),” and/or “attentive.”

The first character means “for a particular person, occasion, or purpose,” “focused on one single thing,” “concentrated,” and sometimes, “special.”

The second character means “heart” or “mind” by itself.

My favorite translation, which comes from the Oxford Advanced Chinese/English Dictionary, is, “wholehearted devotion.”

If it seems like the meaning of this word is quite open, you are correct. The context in which the word is used matters a lot. It can mean different things depending on how you use it. This makes it kind of nice as you can decide what this means to you (within some limits). This is always positive in meaning, so even if a Chinese person reads it differently than you, it will still have a good meaning.

In Japanese, they tend to use a variation of the second character which has one less stroke. If you want your calligraphy written this Japanese form, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note: Japanese and Chinese people will recognize either form.

See Also:  Faith | Devotion

靈光 is a Chinese word that means “divine light.”

This can refer to the glow or halo around the Buddha. It can also be a miraculous column of light.

In slang, it can be like saying “jolly good!.”

Start customizing a “Double Happiness Guest Book Wall Scroll” Here!

The paper panel length can be whatever you choose from 68cm to 135cm (27” to 53”).

If you don't mention what paper length you want in the special instructions tab (on the next page), we'll make it about 100cm (40”).

The medium-size scroll with a 33cm x 100cm (13” x 40”) paper panel can usually handle up to 89 signatures. That breaks down to 37 signatures per empty square and 15 signatures around the 囍 character. If you switch to a 135cm paper panel, add another 37 potential signatures.

We can splice two 135cm papers together, but that would be a crazy-long scroll. These are only estimates, your mileage may vary.

With silk panels, this will yield a wall scroll about 155cm (61”) long. That's enough for up to 89 signatures. Of course, that depends on if your guests just sign a brief salutation and name, or more verbose good wishes. Customer feedback is that 126 people can sign the 135cm long paper on a medium-sized scroll. If we go bigger than that, there will be a minor paper seam and an extra charge. Email me with your specifications if you need something special.

Most customers pick the festive red paper with gold flecks and white or ivory silk. Red is a good luck color in Chinese culture, thus the most popular choice. But, you can do any color combination that you want.

There is a long history of Chinese-character-use outside of mainland China. This Double Happiness character is also seen at weddings in Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, as well as in Chinese communities in Thailand, Indonesia, and elsewhere. While Japan borrowed Chinese characters into their language, you won't see 囍 as often at Japanese weddings.

龍馬精神 is an old proverb that is used to wish someone good health and success combined as a great compliment.

The meaning is “The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse.” These four characters are often accompanied by four more which mean “...and the power and prestige of the tiger.” Here we are just offering the first part which is considered the short version.

By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have an amazing quality. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse would seem to also be in good health.

Note: In Japanese, this would be read as the spirit of 坂本龍馬 (Sakamoto_Ryōma), a beloved rebel who help abolish the old Japanese feudal system. This can be confusing, so I am declaring this proverb to be Chinese only.

龍馬精神虎虎生威 is an old proverb that is used to wish someone great health and success combined as a great compliment.

The meaning is “The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse and the power and prestige of the tiger.”

By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have these qualities. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse would seem to also be in good health.

龍鳳呈祥 is often seen at weddings and other celebrations in China.

It suggests that the dragon and phoenix will bring you auspicious tidings.

The first character is a dragon.
The second is a phoenix.
The third is presents or brings.
And the last means auspicious, propitious, or luck.

Throughout China, the dragon and phoenix are symbols of good fortune. You will see these auspicious figures as decorative symbols on everything from buildings, furniture, wedding costumes, and sculptures in public parks to caskets and items used in ceremonies.

鷹 is the way to write eagle, falcon, or hawk in Chinese.

It means hawk or falcon in Japanese Kanji, and simply “eagle” in old Korean Hanja. Though we have different words for them in English, eagles, falcons, and hawks are all seen as the same general type of bird in Asian languages.

If you are looking for the Dutch surname Valk, or the German surname Falco by meaning, this would be a good character for you.

There are other multi-character words (most of them contain this character) which express different specific species of birds of prey (bald eagle, osprey, golden eagle, etc). If you need a more specific title, just contact me.

It's been said that wisdom comes from good judgment, and good judgment comes from experience, while experience comes from a series of times when you used bad judgment.

經驗是智慧之母 is a Chinese proverb that makes the simplest connection between experience and wisdom.

See Also:  Failure is the Mother of Success | Wisdom | Learn From Wisdom

鶻 is a Chinese character that means falcon.

This can also refer to a migratory bird of prey.

If you are looking for the Dutch surname Valk, or the German surname Falco by meaning, this would be a good character for you.

親朋好友 is a Chinese title that simply means “family and friends” or “kith and kin.”

If you read each character more literally, it's like, “relatives, friends, [and] good/close friends.”

香 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja that means: fragrant; sweet smelling; aromatic; savory; appetizing; perfume; incense; aroma; fragrance; scent; good smell.

Fragrance or incense is known to be one of the Buddha's messengers to stimulate faith and devotion.

福 is pronounced “fu” in Chinese.

The character “fu” is posted by virtually all Chinese people on the doors of their homes during the Spring Festival (closely associated with the Chinese New Year).

One tradition from the Zhou Dynasty (beginning in 256 B.C.) holds that putting a fu symbol on your front door will keep the goddess of poverty away.

福 literally means good fortune, prosperity, blessed, blessedness, happiness, and fulfillment.

You'll also see this character in Vietnam (where Chinese characters were the written form until a romanization reform) where it is pronounced Phúc - a word commonly used in Vietnamese names because of its good meaning.

See Also:  Lucky

福星 is the lucky star, one of three Chinese deities (三星 or Three Stars) representing fortune/luck, prosperity, and longevity.

In Japanese, this can be the given name Fukusei - with the same “lucky star” or “star of good fortune” meaning.

溫厚 is a Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean word for gentle or gentleness.

This can also mean “kindness” (more as an adjective like “kind person”).

The modern Japanese version of the first character looks like the one to the right. If you want this modern Japanese form, just click on that Kanji instead of the button above.

See Also:  Kindness | Caring

神真美好 means “God is good,” in Chinese.

You can also translate this as “God is really good” or “God is so good.”

The last two characters are a version of good that suggests very strong goodness. The characters read, “beautifully good.”

神は善である means “God is Good,” in Japanese.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

良善 means good or goodness.

This can also be the name Ryōzen in Japanese.

再見 is the most common “goodbye” in Mandarin Chinese.

It literally/directly translates, “again see” or more naturally, “See you again.” It's a lot like the English, “See you later.”

Theoretically, this can be used in Japanese, but in Japanese, it's seen as the Chinese way to say goodbye. It's like English people saying ciao! or ¡adiós!

This is a strange title for a wall scroll. I guess it’s best if you plan to put this by the door where people will see it when they leave your home or business.

一日一善 is a Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja phrase that suggests doing a good deed each day or doing one good turn a day.

It literally reads, “One Day, One Good (Deed).”

善悪不二 is a Japanese Buddhist expression that states, “Good [and] evil [are], not two [separate things].”

A more natural way to express this in English is, “Good and evil are but two faces of the same coin.”

好好學習天天向上 is a famous proverb by Chairman Mao Zedong that sounds really strange when directly translated into English.

I include it in our database of phrases to illustrate how different the construction and grammar can be between Chinese and English. The direct translation is “Good Good Study, Day Day Up.” In Chinese, a repeated character/word can often serve to reinforce the idea (like saying “very” or suggesting “a lot of”). So “good good” really means “a lot of good.” While “day day” can be better translated as “day in day out.” The idea of “up” has a meaning in China of “rising above” or “improving.”

After understanding all of this, we come up with a slightly better translation of “With a lot of good study, day in and day out, we raise above.”

The more natural translation of this proverb would be something like, “study hard, and keep improving.”

健康 is the best way to express good health in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

健康 also suggests the ideas of being solid, strong, sound, wholesome, and at peace.

Can also be used to express healthy, vitality, or well-being.

See Also:  Health | Vitality | Wellness

康 is a single character that means good health or vigor in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

康 can also mean peaceful, at ease, or abundant in some contexts.

Please note that this is rarely seen alone in Japanese Kanji. In Japanese, it is used both for health-related compound words and to denote the kouhou through koushou eras of Japan.

In Korean, this can also be the family name “Kang” (caution: not the only family name romanized as Kang in Korean).

See Also:  Health | Vitality | Wellness

善心 literally reads “Good Heart” but is used to refer to the ideas of kindness, benevolence, philanthropy, virtuous intentions, moral sense, and conscience.

Some will also translate this as the morality of mind (as the character for the heart is often used to mean mind).

In Japanese, this can be the given name Yoshinaka.

好意 is how to write good intentions in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean Hanja.

This can also be translated as kindness, goodwill, favor/favour, courtesy, good wishes, friendliness, and/or amity.

善意 is a word that means good intentions, goodwill, or to things done in good faith in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean Hanja.

It's the reason you do good deeds or the desire you have inside yourself to do the right thing.

This can also be translated as benevolence, kindness, virtuous mind, positive mindset, or favorable sense.

善意 is also used in the legal context for things done in good faith (regardless of outcome).

In Japanese, this can be the personal name Yoshi or Yoshii.

In Chinese, 美好的生活 means “Beautiful Life,” or “The Good Life.”

幸運 can be translated as “good luck,” fortunate, lucky, and/or “good fortune” in Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

Occasionally, this is also translated as a type of happiness or a short way to write serendipity.

福宅 is perhaps the Chinese equivalent of “This blessed house” or perhaps “home sweet home.”

This phrase literally means “Good fortune house” or “Good luck household.” It makes any Chinese person who sees it feel that good things happen in the home in which this calligraphy is hung.

晚安 is how to write “good night” in Chinese.

This literally is a wish for an “evening of peace” or “night of calm.”

晚安 is not a normal title for a calligraphy wall scroll. It might be appropriate for a hotel front desk if anything.

お休み is how to write “good night” in Japanese.

It literally means “taking a rest.”

お休み is not a normal title for a calligraphy wall scroll. It might be appropriate for a hotel front desk, if anything.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

整 is a single Chinese character that can mean: in good order, whole, complete, entire, in order, orderly, to repair, to mend, to renovate, and/or to fix something or somebody.

This was added for a customer who wanted a single character that meant orderly. It's kind of unusual for a wall scroll.

My Korean Hanja dictionary defines it as orderly, neat, tidy, and/or whole.

Note: In Japanese, this Kanji is usually understood as a male given name Hitoshi (other Kanji can also be Hitoshi). It is used in combination with other Kanji or Hiragana to create words about orderliness. Unless your name is Hitoshi, this single character is best if your audience is Chinese.

整然 is orderly, systematic, well-organized, trim, neat, tidy, and accurate in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.

This would be understood but is not used in Chinese languages.

善行 means good actions, good deeds, good conduct, or benevolence.

This can be the given name Yoshiyuki in Japanese.

為善最樂 can be translated as “Doing good is the greatest source of happiness” or “doing good deeds brings the greatest joy.”

The origin is not known but is sometimes used in the context of Buddhism. However, this Chinese proverb or philosophy is a relatively mainstream idea of benevolence.

善 means goodness, virtue, good deed, charitable, benevolent, well-disposed, nice, pleasant, kind, or simply, “good.”

善 is the kind of good that applies to someone's good character, or a good person in general.

Referring to someone with this word means that they have a well-aimed moral compass, and are charitable, giving, wise, and honest. Basically, this is a blanket statement for every good trait a human can have or all the things that make someone good.

In another context, it can mean to improve or perfect something or refer to someone who is good at something.

善良 is a word that means good and honest, kind-hearted, goodness, excellence, and/or virtue.

上善若水 is a quote that is sometimes presented as “Be like water.”

However, this is an ancient quote from the great philosopher Lao Tzu. It suggests that the ultimate goodness and purity (in the world) is water. Many take this as a suggestion to be like pure/good water.

瑞 is a Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean word that means: lucky; auspicious; propitious; freshness; purity; luster; a good omen.

In Japanese, this can be the following female given names: Yutaka; Midzuho; Mizuho; Mizuki; Mizue; Mizu; Mio; Tamami. It can also be a Japanese surname, Zui or Shirushi.

In the Buddhist context, this can represent an auspicious jade token or good omen.

大望 is one of a few ways to write “dream big” in Japanese.

This is a good title if you want that to inspire ambition or high aspirations. 大望 is also a way to say “great expectations.”

This Chinese phrase suggests that a good host will make guests feel like they are returning home or are as comfortable as they would be at their own homes.

賓至如歸 is also the Chinese equivalent of “a home away from home,” and is used by Chinese hotels, guest houses, and inns to suggest the level of their hospitality that will make you feel at home during your stay.

工合 is one of those Asian words that is used more in English than in the original Chinese.

Gung Ho was originally used to speak of Carlson's Raiders, a group of “Gung Ho” U.S. Marines who went on an island-hopping campaign of death during WWII.

A movie called Gung Ho came out in the mid-1940s and was later re-released in the 1950s depicting the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, and brought this word to the mainstream.

It is still sometimes used today within the U.S. Marine Corps brotherhood to refer to a unit or group that works well together or is otherwise efficient and motivated (has good morals).

In 1986, there was a movie called Gung Ho about a Japanese company taking over an American automotive factory. They completely ignored the fact that this was a Chinese title.

It should be noted that this title actually means a condition, state, manner, or the health of something in Japanese.

Language and pronunciation notes:
Like many Asian words absorbed into common use in English, this one is drastically mispronounced. The official Romanization is “gong he” but that doesn't tell you enough. The vowel sound on the first character is like the English word “own,” now just add the g-sounds to the beginning and end. The second character is misleading, as you might think it is like the English word “he.” In reality, the vowel sound is more like the “u” in “up.”

It should also be noted that the current generation in China no longer uses or recognizes this as a common word or slogan.

Note: This can be pronounced and is a word in Japanese, though seldom used. Japanese will use a variation of "具合" instead. But still, not common.

葉隠れ is the Japanese word hagakure, which means “hidden in the leaves.”

葉隠れ is also used as a semi-idiom to mean “doing good deeds without calling attention to oneself.”

樂 is a single-character form of happiness or bliss that holds the ideas of laughing and having a good time.

This can also be translated as happy, glad, enjoyable, fun, and sometimes, music.

This a really good character if your audience is Chinese.

This is not a word seen alone very often in Korean.

In Japanese, this character is written like the image shown to the right. If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, it will look like this instead of the character shown above.
Note: In Japanese, this has a meaning of comfort, ease, and enjoyment.

See Also:  Joyfulness

幸 can mean happiness, good fortune, good luck, and in the old days, good harvest or bounty.

Note: From Japanese, this character is sometimes romanized as “sachi,” and is often pronounced “kou” or sometimes “rei” when used in compound words with other Kanji.

幸福與愛 is “happiness and love” in Chinese.

There is a suggestion of “good fortune” in the version of happiness used here.

囍 is a common gift for Chinese couples getting married or newly married couples.

As we say in the west, “Two heads are better than one” Well, in the east, two “happinesses” are certainly better than one.

Some will suggest this is a symbol of two happinesses coming together. Others see it as a multiplication of happiness because of the union or marriage.

囍 is not really a character that is pronounced very often - it's almost exclusively used in written form. However, if pressed, most Chinese people will pronounce this “shuang xi” (double happy) although literally there are two “xi” characters combined in this calligraphy (but nobody will say “xi xi”).

If you select this character, I strongly suggest the festive bright red paper for your calligraphy. Part of my suggestion comes from the fact that red is a good luck color in China, and this will add to the sentiment that you wish to convey with this scroll to the happy couple.

祝誕生日 is the shortest way to write “Happy Birthday” in Japanese.

The first Kanji means “wish” or “express good wishes,” and the last three characters mean “birthday.”

Because a birthday only lasts one day per year, we strongly suggest that you find an appropriate and personal calligraphy gift that can be hung in the recipient's home year-round.

八聖道 is one of two titles for the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path.

This version specifically has the “noble” idea in the middle character, which also means holy, sacred, wise and good, or upright.

The other title also romanizes as Hasshoudou or Hasshōdō in Japanese but is written 八正道.