It is a pictographic character in Chinese, which refers to the fruit of vining plants. In oracle bone inscriptions, there is a slender vine on both sides of the character with a large fruit in the middle, presenting the image of vines bearing fruits. The present "gua" still assumes this structure. It also refers to adornments, ceremonial articles and weapons in the shape of a melon, such as the skullcap, melon peel boat and Jin Gua (a ritual weapon in ancient China with a long stem and a melon-shaped tip). As an old Chinese saying goes, "Guashu Diluo", which means that the pedicel will naturally fall off once a melon is ripe. It is used to describe that success will come when conditions are ripe.
