The Chinese couplet (对联) refers to two poetic lines obeying certain rules, often written on red paper for (appreciate).
As a form of Chinese literature, the couplet (vary) in content and style. Some express people's love to their motherland, some describe the beauty of nature, some convey best wishes for the coming year.
Chinese couplets (originate) in the Five Dynasties, and became widespread in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was a custom for people (hang) peach wood charms to drive away evil spirits during the Spring Festival. Nowadays, couplets are used a similar way.
It was said that the (early) couplet was written by Meng Xu, king of Houshu State and it was (extreme) popular in the Northern Song Dynasty. Since the Ming Dynasty, to write couplets (regard) as a mark of the cultured life of scholars.
The couplet has two equal-length lines. However, number of characters in each line can be from four to seven or more. The first and the second lines have opposite tone patterns. The last character of the first line is of an oblique tone (仄声), and its opposite in the second line, of a level tone (平声).
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