Cranes and Peaches for Longevity

Legend has it that cranes, just like tortoises, live the longest life among the birds and animals. That’s why the Chinese people usually adopt the terms of “long life as cranes’” or “age of cranes” when expressing birthday wishes. The hand-painted picture like this one, namely, a combination of cranes, auspicious clouds and peaches, has been a fixed pattern, sometimes with different details, to extend wishes for longevity.