A gourd is a plant of liana. We know that it could be used as food and medicine. However, in ancient China, it was also used to carry medicine, wine as well as elixirs. There is an old saying goes that “I don’t know what he has got in his gourd”, meaning that someone is wondering what the person is planning to do.
Ancient Chinese regarded the gourd to be a symbol of prosperity as it is prolific in fruits and seeds. In some areas, there has been a custom of stealing gourds from the others’ fields on the Mid-Autumn Festival, hoping that they could have many children, especially sons.
It is also believed to be a charm to ward off evil spirits and disease because in Chinese, its first character hu has a similar pronunciation to fu, which means good fortune.
Also, in ancient times, gourds could be frequently seen carried by old men. Therefore, it gradually became the symbol of longevity.
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