Internet Colors - Set of 1035

Chinese Red Color 186 - #AA381E

"China Red" is another name for other versions of the pigment vermilion, which is the traditional red pigment of Chinese art. Chinese name chops are printed with a red cinnabar paste, and vermilion (or cinnabar) is the pigment used in Chinese red lacquer. Cinnabar also has significance in Taoist culture, and was regarded as the color of life and eternity. Some Chinese emperors died of mercury poisoning when trying to become immortal by eating vermilion. The color Chinese red is a deep tone of vermilion that is the color used on Chinese lacquered boxes and furniture.

The first recorded use of Chinese red as a color name in English was in 1924. The source of this color is: ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names (1955)--Color Sample of Chinese red (color sample #36).