In one picture, several fish drift among lotus leaves. In another, a carp launches itself against a waterfall. Both images contain fish, but they need not carry the same message. The quiet pond often wishes for abundance; the leaping carp is more likely to tell the story of Dragon Gate.
Fish can suggest abundance through sound. In Mandarin, yú (鱼), “fish,” is pronounced like yú (余), “surplus” or “something left over.” Lotus and fish can therefore contribute to phrases such as “continuous years of abundance.” New Year settings, grain, children or written characters can make the wish more specific. A fish alone does not automatically identify the complete phrase.
The Dragon Gate picture contains an ordeal
The carp story has a clear sequence. A carp swims upstream and, after crossing the Dragon Gate on the Yellow River, transforms into a dragon. The change became a metaphor for passing the civil service examinations and gaining rank. It can now extend to examination success, university admission or a difficult professional breakthrough.
An early fourteenth-century inkstone at the Metropolitan Museum of Art places carp and dragon on the same object. The museum links its decoration to the Dragon Gate story and to success in the examinations. The object itself sharpens that meaning: an inkstone used for daily study is a more direct setting for scholarly ambition than a fish dish placed on a dining table.
Read the fish, the action and the object together
Start with the species and movement. A recognisable carp, an upward leap, rapids, a waterfall or a high gate all create a barrier to be crossed. Fish moving calmly through lotus or water plants, especially with clues for “year,” “lotus” or “surplus,” more readily support a wish for plenty.
The object also matters. Inkstones, children’s examination clothing and gifts for students tend to emphasise advancement. New Year prints, tableware and festival gifts more often wish for material abundance. Some fish paintings simply observe aquatic life or use swimming fish to suggest freedom and ease. Translating every fish into “abundance year after year” erases those differences.