Lei (garland) Lei (garland) Lei () is a garland or wreath. More loosely defined, a lei is any series of objects strung together with the intent to be worn. The most popular concept of a "lei" in Hawaiian culture is a wreath of flowers presented upon arriving or leaving as a symbol of affection. This concept was popularized through tourism between the Hawaiian Islands and the continental United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. Children and sweethearts are poetically referred to as "lei" and many ancient and modern songs and chants refer to this imagery. A lei can be given to
Lei tai " (Traditional: 打擂臺 Simplified: 打擂台 - "Fight Beat (a drum) Platform"). The character for "Dǎ" combines the word for “robust or vigorous” (dīng 丁) with the radical for "hand" (shǒu 手). This can mean, "to strike, hit, beat, or fight". In Cantonese, using the Wade-Giles superscript number system, Lei tai is pronounced Leui Toi. A common English rendering of this is "Lui Toi or Loey Toy". Da lei tai is pronounced Da leui toi or Da leui toi. It is important to note the Chinese military once used a "Zhong Jun Lei Gu Tai" (中军擂鼓台 – “Central Military Drum Beating