Truelove knot: tightly holding hands
The "Truelove Knot," which has several connotations in Chinese culture, including reunions, friendship, peace, warmth, marriage, and love, is a braided brocade ribbon that signifies love and longevity throughout conjugal bliss. The significance of knots is apparent in poems and classical Chinese writings such as the Book of Songs, where there are stories of women knitting the "truelove knot" as a gift to their lovers.
Bracelets: time-honored gifts
Although they are just arm decorations, bracelets were the earliest evidence of people's inherent love of beauty. In China, even today, men buy their beloved women a bracelet as a gift.
However, many scientists have argued that bracelets came forth not because of the love of beauty. Instead, they were associated with totem worship and witchery rituals. Some historians say that since men assumed absolute rule over economic life, they cultivated the barbarian custom to tie down women with finger rings and bracelets. Such a metaphor existed for quite a long time.
Jade ruyi scepter: royal affection
A jade ruyi scepter is a decorative object rather than an ornament to be worn. The word ruyi in Chinese means "everything goes as you wish." A traditional ruyi has a long S-shaped handle and a head fashioned like a cloud or mushroom. It can be made from many different materials including gold, silver, bamboo, coral, crystal, ivory, and jade. Thought of as having origins as a backscratcher and later a Buddhist symbol of power, the object was later used in the royal palace as a token of love when the emperor was choosing his empress among dozens of beauties. He handed over the jade ruyi to the one he took a fancy to, as a promise that he would take the woman as his wife.
Rings: not a new fashion
The ring, which symbolizes engagement and matrimony, is the smallest but most desirable love token nowadays. Even in ancient China, rings were common tokens of love.
Originally, lovers sent rings to each other as love tokens. However, by the end of Tang Dynasty, only men sent rings to their beloved women as a gift. Therefore, in ancient China, unmarried maidens didn't wear rings.
