Haiwang YUAN

A decorated doorway of a house in southern China. Duilian, poetic couplets, line the two sides of the door to bring good fortune. Over the door the round mirror and other charms scare away evil spirits. The decorative panels are painted with still life, landscape, and calligraphy. PHOTO BY JOAN LEBOLD COHEN.
Duilian (antithetical couplet, or two lines created in opposition to each other) is a Chinese literary form that follows