The decoration of houses can be traced to a combination of practical concerns, folk beliefs, and pure ornamentation. Walls and eaves are often decorated, but particular attention is paid to doorways and windows because these are places where good or evil spirits were thought to enter. Elegant decorative schemes would also provide ventilation or shading.

In the image at right, the lattice in the doors serves several functions.

Not only is the character fu auspicious, but representations of homonyms of fu are also good luck. 

Because Chinese people honor age and desire long life, the character representing longevity shou is also often seen on Chinese houses. A stylized form of shou can be seen in the middle of the door to the right.

Can you guess why bats decorate this door?

Another character thought to express longevity is wan which means "ten thousand." This character is often represented stylistically as a backwards swastika, such as on the lattice work to the left.

Other symbols of longevity are the peach, the tortoise, the deer, the crane, and evergreen trees.

To the left is a picture of a tiger with the eight trigrams. This is often hung above doors. In some parts of China, particularly Fujian province, the word for tiger is pronounced "fu." The eight trigrams are thought to ward off evil influences. In combination with the tiger's fierce face, this image makes a powerful amulet.

Mirrors are also thought to deflect evil influences.

How many decorative elements can you find in the image to the left?

The banners can be translated as:

Every time I hear of good deeds, my heart is happy.

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