Girl wearing golden clothing with Chinese knots and symbols of dragons One major characteristic of decorative knotwork is that all the knots are tied using one thread, which is usually about one-meter in length. However, when finished the knot looks identical from both the front and back. They can come in a variety of colours such as; gold, green, blue or black, though the most commonly used colour is red, symbolising good luck and prosperity; zodiac, dragon; street scene, China Town, Bangkok