In Chinese, "flower arrangement art" is referred to as 花卉艺术.The word“花”means fower, “卉”refers to all kinds of plants and flowers, and“艺术”means art. Flowers have remained an integral thread that runs through the spectrum of Chinese art: from painting to calligraphy to paper cutting. According to Sun Ke, co-author of"A Brief History of Chinese Flower Arrangement", the Chinese are "essentially the people of flowers". The Chinese tradition of flower arrangement art has a history of over 3,000 years and with its unique styles, it is where the earliest origin and representation of oriental flower arranging genre can be found.
在汉语里，“插花艺术”义为“花卉艺术”。“花”指花朵，“卉”指各类植物和花，“艺术”即艺术技巧。从绘画到书法再到剪纸，花卉一直是贯穿中国艺术谱系的一条不可或缺的脉络。《中国插花简史》的合著者孙可认为，中华民族“本质上就是花的民族”。中国插花艺术传统有3000多年历史，风格独特，是东方插花流派的源头和代表。
The love for flowers perhaps arrived in China with Buddhism as fresh lotus and other flowers and plants were offered as tributes to the Buddha. The earliest depiction of Chinese floral art can be found on the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220) mural' excavated' in a tomb in Hebei province, depicting six red flowers in a ceramic' bowl of water.Many ancient Chinese paintings also depict flowers carefully set in porcelain vessels.
对花的喜爱可能是随着佛教传入中国的，当时人们用新鲜的莲花和其他花卉植物作为供品敬献给佛祖。关于中国花卉艺术最早的描绘见于河北省一座东汉（25-220）墓葬中出土的壁画，壁画中有六朵红花插在一个盛水的陶瓷碗里。许多中国古画也描绘了精心摆放在瓷器中的花卉。
It was during the prosperous Tang(618-907) and Song(960-1279)periods that the flower arrangement art reached its zenith in China. The Tang palace often held peony flower arranging pageants. Noblewomen and scholars arranged flowers as a refined hobby.By the Song Dynasty, utilization of arranged flowers had become very popular among ordinary people. According to a historical record, during the Song dynastic era, one magistrate consumed some ten million flowers for a single flower arrangements exhibition. Appre ciating and arranging flowers was also a favorite activity for ancient literati:Under Confucian views, even flowers had hierarchy and not all were suitable for flower arrangements and floriography" reached an unprecedented level of finery.
中国插花艺术在繁盛的唐（618-907）宋（960-1279）时期达到顶峰。唐代宫廷经常举行牡丹插花盛会。贵族女性和文人雅士都将插花作为一项高雅爱好。到了宋代，插花在普通民众间也广为流行。根据史料记载，宋朝的一位地方官员为了一场插花展览，竟耗费了大约1000万朵花。赏花和插花也是古代文人墨客最爱的活动：在儒家观点看来，即使是花也有等级之分，并非所有花都适合插花，花语文化也达到了前所未有的精妙程度。
Traditional Chinese floral arrangement art achieves its characteristic balance through four essential structural approaches: the upright, tilted, horizontal and drooping forms. Guiding this practice are three core philosophies: closely following nature's lead, learning from its inherent designs, and thoughtfully presenting its beauty in an elevated way.The mastery of these techniques seeks to erase any obvious human touch,lending the artwork a profoundly natural feel. Today Chinese floral arts can be classified into four prevalent' styles:Intellectual, Realistic, Expressionist and Formative Arrangements. The choice of plant material is also crucial; involving an appreciation for its physical form, an exploration of its deeper meaning, and an understanding of its symbolic connotations. Floral artists aim not merely to display a flower's aesthetic charm but to channel its associated humanistic spirit, as seen with the lotus, whose arrangement should convey both its graceful beauty and its symbolic nobility.
中国传统插花艺术通过四种基本造型手法达到特有的平衡，即直立式、倾斜式、水平式和下垂式。有三大核心理念指导造型实践，即顺应自然、师法自然、巧妙升华自然之美。这些技巧旨在消除明显的人为痕迹，让作品呈现浑然天成的感觉。如今，中国插花艺术有四种流行风格：文人式、写实式、写意式和造型式。花材的选择也很重要，既要欣赏其物理形态、又要探索其深层含义，并理解其象征意义。花艺师不仅致力于展现花卉的美学魅力，更要传达与之相关的人文精神。例如莲花，用于插花时既要体现其优雅之美，又要彰显其高洁的象征意义。
While yellow peonies are regarded as the king of flowers in Chinese floristry', pink peonies were the queen, with both symbolizing wealth and illustriousness. From high to low, ancient literati ranked flowers from orchids to plum flowers, jasmine, lotus, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, lilies, peach blossoms,begonia, rose, azalea and morning glory. Each flower had its own symbolism. Some blooms represent seasons or months. For example, the four seasons are represented by flowering Cherry(winter), Orchid and Irises (spring),Bamboo (summer) and Chrysanthemum(fall). Magnolias were so precious that only emperors were allowed to own them. They have also been used in Chinese medicine, and form a recurring' theme in poetry. In modern times,magnolias represent beauty. Lotus is a flower that remains steeped in Buddhist symbolism and considered one of the eight precious things in faith. It symbolizes purity and is known as the gentleman's flower because it grows out from the mud, pure and unstained.
在中国花艺中，黄牡丹被视为花中之王，粉牡丹则为花中之后，两种花都象征着荣华与富贵。古代文人将花从高到低排序，依次为兰花、梅花茉莉花、莲花、菊花、芙蓉花、百合花、桃花、秋海棠花、玫瑰花、杜鹃花和牵牛花。每种花都有其象征意义。一些花代表季节或月份。例如，四季分别由樱花（冬）、兰花与鸢尾花（春）、竹（夏）和菊花（秋来代表。玉兰花极为珍贵，只有皇帝才能拥有，它还被用作中药，也是诗歌中反复出现的主题。到了现代，玉兰花则象征着美好。莲花具有丰富的佛教象征意义，被视为佛教八宝之一。它象征着纯洁，因出淤泥而不染而被誉为君子之花。
Of course, with the level of sophistication that evolved over centuries for the pottery, half of the artistic presenta.tion of a Chinese flower arrangement work relies on the vessel' The pottery lends itself beautifully to" how an arrangement of flowers sits in the vessel.Innovative use of other plant elements besides flowers such as branches,leaves, trunks and dead wood often also find their way in the arrangements.China has a vast land, diverse terrains and different climates in its many regions, which helps make all kinds of trees, shrubs, vines and grass a veritable treasure trove for flower arrangement.
当然，随着数百年来陶瓷工艺的精湛程度不断发展，中国插花作品的艺术呈现有一半取决于花器。陶瓷器皿非常适宜呈现其中插花的造型之美。除了花卉外，树枝、叶子、树干和枯木等其他植物元素也常被创新性地运用到插花中。中国地域辽阔，地形多样，气候各异，使得各类乔木、灌木、藤蔓和草本植物成为插花的真正宝库。
According to Liang Qinzhang, a traditional Chinese flower arrangement artist, beauty of Chinese flower arrangement lies in its naturalness, as opposed to artificial creation. He emphasizes the importance of observing plants in their natural environment and understanding their ecological habits to create better arrangements. Liang believes that traditional Chinese flower arrangement differs from its Western counterpart as it places more emphasis on expressing personalized meaning incorporating elements of balance, minimalism and asymmetry, unlike Western arrangements which tend towards symmetry.
中式传统插花艺术家梁勤璋认为，中式插花之美在于其自然天成，而非人工雕琢。他强调，观察植物在自然环境中的状态并了解其生态习性很重要，这样才能创作出更好的插花作品。梁勤璋认为，中式传统插花与西式插花不同，更注重表达个性化意义，融入平衡、简约和不对称的元素，而西式插花则倾向于对称。
Today's florists in China mix old ways with new. Some even add LED lights for drama or use recycled containers for sustainability. Urban dwellers might create mini arrangements for apartments, while rural artists weave in wild grasses. Thankfully in recent times, this traditional art has found a new level of appreciation and in 2008,approved by the State Council, traditional flower arrangement was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list" of China, protected and supported by the government. The Museum of Traditional Chinese Flower Arrangement, showcasing the history and art of traditional Chinese flower arrangement,opened its doors to the public in 2015 in Beijing as a free-access public welfare project. Beyond the exhibitions,the museum offers courses, lectures and specialized displays about flowers and flower arranging, along with a flower salon to engage the public.
如今，中国的花艺师们将传统手法与现代元素相结合，有些甚至加入LED灯来营造夸张效果，或使用可回收容器以彰显可持续发展理念。城市居民可能会为公寓制作小型插花，而乡村艺术家则会将野草融入作品中。值得庆幸的是近年来，这一传统艺术得到了更多认可。2008年，经国务院批准，传统插花被列入中国国家级非物质文化遗产名录，受政府保护和支持。2015年，中国插花艺术博物馆在北京对外开放，这是一个免费的公益项目，展示了中国传统插花的历史和艺术。除了展览，该博物馆还提供关于花卉和插花的课程、讲座和专题展示，并设有花艺沙龙以吸引公众参与。
（译者为“《英语世界》杯翻译大赛获奖者；单位：天津师范大学）
