President Lee Jae-myung on the 5th gave Chinese President Xi Jinping a gift of "Girin-do," a traditional Korean folk painting, and a gold-foil dragon-pattern frame. The kirin (麒麟) is an imaginary animal that symbolizes the appearance of a sage, a sign of an era of peace and prosperity, and flourishing descendants. Cheong Wa Dae said the gifts carried the wish to deepen the two countries' friendship and cooperation on the occasion of the Korea-China summit.
Lee and first lady Kim Hea-kyung delivered the gifts prepared for Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan during a state banquet after concluding the summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the afternoon of the 5th. The Girin-do is a work by Eom Jae-gwon, No. 2 on the list of traditional folk culture assets, and is a large painting measuring 56 cm wide by 177 cm tall. It recreates a Girin-do painted in the late 19th century. Along with the kirin, it vividly depicts heavenly peaches symbolizing longevity and immortality, and peonies symbolizing "wealth and honor," in brilliant colors.
Earlier, Xi was said to have mentioned during a 2015 visit to the United States the classical saying "Tao li bu yan, xia zi cheng xi" (桃李不言 下自成蹊; peach trees and plum trees do not speak, yet paths form beneath them), meaning that virtue opens the way without loud words. The remark likened China and the United States to a peach tree and a plum tree, respectively.
The gold-foil dragon-pattern frame is the work of Kim Ki-ho, a national intangible cultural property gold-foil artisan. On a red base, a dragon symbolizing the royal family and dignity, a chrysanthemum arabesque meaning longevity and prosperity, and decorations symbolizing good fortune and sacredness were embroidered in gold. In addition, a photo album of the "Qing dynasty stone lion statue," which Korea's Kansong Art Museum plans to donate to China, was also delivered.
For Peng, they presented a Tamhwa norigae by master of traditional cloisonné craft Lee Su-gyeong and a beauty device. The norigae depicts a fluttering butterfly using the cloisonné technique. Butterflies symbolize wishes for great fortune with the coming of spring and the fulfillment of hopes, while flowers and pearls symbolize prosperity and wealth. In return, Peng gave Lee and the first lady a CD containing a song she sang herself.
That day, Lee and Xi attended the summit wearing red neckties. In late Nov. last year at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, they both wore blue ties and agreed to a "full restoration of Korea-China relations."