长寿
cháng shoù · HSK 5
longevity
🧓 长寿 = long + lifespan; the 寿 character is the classic word for longevity
长 means long (in length or time) and 寿 means lifespan or longevity. Together they literally read 'long lifespan'. 寿 shows up on birthday peaches and longevity scrolls. The Chongqing district borrows the auspicious name.
长 — pictograph of long-haired person with cane
Originally a pictograph showing a person with long, flowing hair leaning on a cane, representing an elder. The meaning extended from 'long hair' to 'long' in general, and also to 'elder' or 'to grow' (read zhǎng). The modern form 长 is a simplification of the traditional 長.