Taijitu Symbol (Taiji's Yin and Yang Symbol)

The Taijitu Symbol was a cultural symbol in ancient China, composed of a sign for yin and another for yang, representing ancient philosophical ideas. According to an ancient Chinese belief, the Taiji is the origin of the universe, in which every phenomenon is composed of two elementary aspects - yin and yang. The two are opposite but counterbalanced, mutually-containing while interconvertible. Everything in the universe goes on and on in cycles under the dialectical forces of yin and yang. The Taijitu symbol illustrates this concept. The symbol is round, representing the origin and oneness of the universe; an S-shaped curve splits the symbol into two fish-like parts - the black "fish" stands for "yin", and the white one "yang"; inside the yin fish there is a white spot, meaning the yang exists in the yin, and within the yang fish there is a black spot, meaning the yin exists in the yang. The yin and yang fishes are connected end-to-end, representing the interconvertibility of yin and yang as well as the circulation of the universe.

Simple as it is, the symbol graphically expresses the rich meanings of harmony, symmetry, balance, stability, and circulation that inform an outlook on life and the universe - a defining feature of Chinese civilization. The symbol is also used in many other countries, for example, on the national flags of South Korea and Mongolia.

太極圖

太極圖是中國古代一種文化符號，包含表示一陰一陽的圖形，蘊含陰陽相生、剛柔相濟的古老哲理。中國古人認 為，太極為宇宙本原，宇宙中一切現象都由陰陽兩個基本方 面構成，兩者既相互平衡、相互對立，又相互包含、相互轉 化。宇宙萬物就在這種陰陽辯證關系的推動下循環運轉、生 生不息。太極圖就是關于這一宇宙觀的基本圖示。其輪廓為 圓形，代表作為宇宙本原及整體的太極；S形曲線將太極圖 分為形似魚的兩部分，黑色部分代表陰，白色部分代表陽； 陰魚中又有白色圓點，代表陰中有陽，陽魚中又有黑色圓 點，代表陽中有陰；陰魚與陽魚頭尾相連，代表陰陽的相互 轉化和宇宙的循環運轉。

這一圖示簡約而形象地表達了中華文明所蘊含的宇宙觀，體現了和諧、對稱、均衡、穩定、循環的豐富內涵。太極圖元素在其他國家也有很多應用，例如，出現在蒙古國、韓國的國旗上等。