In traditional Chinese culture, the following idioms are often used to describe a perfect marriage: lute and zither playing in harmony, flowers blooming under the full moon, dragons soaring and phoenixes prancing, mandarin ducks playing in water, and swallows and nightingales flying in pairs. These metaphors are inspired by objects in nature, among which bird-related analogies are the most common. Such admiration of the creatures dates back millennia, as birds were believed to herald good luck. Bird-and-flower paintings (hua niao hua) are one of the three major genres of Chinese painting, and chirping birds are typically used to convey the painter’s earnest wishes. Noble Blessings From a Sacred Bird The phoenix (fenghuang), a sacred bird from the ancient days regarded as the king of birds, is considered the noblest emblem for grand weddings. Married couples sharing in the ebb and flow of each other’s lives are compared to male and …