In China (the home of the chrysanthemum), it was praised as one of four valued plants for its noble atmosphere distinctive in the late autumn field and for its fresh fragrance, so Chinese people loved the chrysanthemum as the symbol of something valuable, such as 'the noble spirit keeping oneself away from injustice,' 'friendship unchanged even in one's dark days,' and 'the mountain hermit's miraculous medicine promising longevity.'
原産地の中国で菊は晩秋の野に凛と立つ姿と清清しい芳香から四君子の一つとされ、「不正を寄せ付けぬ高潔さ」「不遇の際も変わらぬ友情」「長寿をもたらす仙人の霊薬」などとのイメージで愛された。