In Chinese art, the Four Gentlemen or Four Noble Ones (Chinese: 四君子; pinyin: Sì Jūnzǐ)," is a collective term referring to four plants: the plum blossom, the orchid, the bamboo, and the chrysanthemum. The term compares the four plants to Confucian junzi, or "gentlemen." They are commonly depicted in bird-and-flower paintings, a broad category of classical Chinese art, and they are particularly popular subjects for ink and wash painting.

 The Four Gentlemen are a recurring theme in Chinese art because of their long history of symbolism for traditional virtues such as uprightness, purity, humility, perseverance against harsh conditions. Each of them represents a different season; the plum blossom for winter, the orchid for spring, the bamboo for summer, and the chrysanthemum for autumn., The Plum tree's blossom is a symbol of winter ending and a herald of spring. The tree's pale pink blossoms are cherished because they bloom vibrantly and so bravely amidst the winter chill. They symbolise perseverance and hope, as well as beauty thriving in adverse circumstances.

 The Four Gentlemen have been used in Chinese painting since the time of the Song dynasty (960–1279) and were later adopted by artists elsewhere in East Asia. This beautiful original hand painted fan with full Chinese calligraphy on the reverse side is of plum blossom.