Longevity banner commemorating the 73rd birthday of Xu Yingkui
| Title | Longevity banner commemorating the 73rd birthday of Xu Yingkui |
| Period | Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1903 |
| Medium | Silk with metallic threads |
| Location | China |
| Dimensions | 304 x 147 cm |
| Collection | University Museum and Art Gallery, HKU |
| Provenance | Gift of Dr Hui Wai Haan |
| Catalogue | HKU.T.2004.1923 |
Shoulao, the Daoist God of Longevity, appears on this banner, along with an inscription stating that it was presented by Wu Songyang (1846–1916) to Xu on the occasion of his seventy-third birthday. The text reads:
gaoshou guanglu dafu yunshuai xiantai fuzi daren qi zhi jin san rongqing
(‘for the seventy-third birthday of Yunshuai, the Grand Master of Splendid Happiness and the Governor-General’)
sanpin xian fujian shiyong dao shouye wusongyang kou zhu
(‘sincere wishes from student Wu Songyang, the third-ranking shiyongdao of Fujian’)
Surrounding Shoulao are various embroidered symbols of longevity, including a peach, several cranes and five bats. The number of bats is significant as the Chinese characters for bat and fortune are both pronounced fu, and symbolise the ‘Five Blessings’ of longevity, health, wealth, and a virtuous life and natural death.