Color systems in Eastern and Western cultures show marked differences due to their distinct cultural backgrounds. Starting from the emotional color perception of Chinese people, this paper takes the imagistic expression of colors as the entry point. Drawing on the research results of the cognitive study of the Chinese people's emotional color perception conducted by Tsinghua University, it expounds on the aesthetic value and philosophical connotations embedded in the imagery of traditional Chinese colors. Through practical examples, it analyzes the application value and design principles of traditional Chinese colors in food packaging design.