The Chinese idiom “Fu Gui Rong Hua” 富贵荣华 denotes prosperity, honour, and splendour, and represents the wishes of the family that their household may blessed with these attributes. Alternating between the four appliqued Chinese characters are the Eight Immortals (八仙 baxian), an eclectic group of figures in Chinese mythology who had achieved immortality through personal cultivation and effort. They were depicted as a group from around the 13th century in China and became popular symbols of happiness and longevity in Chinese art and culture. Horizontal banners embroidered with the Eight Immortals are called “baxiancai” 八仙彩 and were usually hung above the doorway to the main hall of a house during joyous occasions such as weddings and birthdays.
