爐

A phono-semantic compound:

火 — supplies the semantic field: heat, burning, fire

盧 — provides pronunciation and contributes the idea of an enclosed space

The character thus depicts fire contained within a fixed structure, i.e. a hearth or furnace.

火爐 (화로) — brazier

熔爐 (용로) — smelting furnace

香爐 (향로) — incense burner

爐 is not wild, but disciplined fire. It represents:

- control over nature

- transformation through restraint

- warmth within boundaries

This symbolism explains its prominence in:

- Daoist alchemy

- Buddhist ritual

- Poetry and domestic imagery

In classical thought:

Fire destroys; the furnace transforms.

Fire-related characters:

火 — fire

焰 — flame

燃 — to burn

Hearth and cooking:

灶 — stove

廚 — kitchen

鼎 — tripod cauldron

Alchemical / transformation imagery:

丹 — cinnabar, elixir

煉 — to refine

熔 — to melt

Classical citations:

《史記·貨殖列傳》 (Records of the Grand Historian)

「冶爐鼓鑄，日夜不息。」

“Smelting furnaces and casting molds worked day and night without rest.”

Here 爐 refers to industrial furnaces used in metallurgy, highlighting its economic importance.

《抱朴子·內篇》 (The Inner Chapters of Baopuzi)

「丹成於爐，性化於火。」

“The elixir is completed in the furnace; its nature is transformed by fire.”

In Daoist inner and outer alchemy, 爐 is central:

- the external furnace for elixirs

- the internal furnace of the human body (丹爐)

In Buddhist translations, 爐 frequently appears in ritual contexts:

香爐 — incense burner

《法華經》 (The Lotus Sutra) translations describe offerings of incense burned in a 爐, symbolizing:

- purification

- impermanence

- reverence

The hearth becomes a sacred container, not merely a tool.

《白居易·問劉十九》 (Bai Juyi's "Asking Liu Nineteen")

「綠蟻新醅酒，紅泥小火爐。」

“Green-ant new-brewed wine, a small red-clay brazier.”

This famous line uses 火爐 to evoke warmth, intimacy, and quiet companionship, showing the emotional resonance of 爐 in literature.