This year is the Chines Year of the Dragon and it is also the International Year of the Bat
I just loved this card
. Bats are a sign of good fortune in China and nd were often embroidered onto the Emperor’s robes
nto the Emperor’s robes.
A bat (fu 蝠) is a visual pun or rebus for “good fortune” or happiness (fu 福) because both characters have exactly the same pronunciation.
The “five bats” represent the “Five Blessings“, also known as the “Five Happinesses” or “Five Good Fortunes”. The “five blessings” are longevity (寿), wealth (富), health and composure (康宁), virtue (修好德), and the desire to die a natural death in old age (考 终命).
Phoito Jude Hirstwood
It was also used as a wall decoration . This example is from a palace in Bangkok