Who doesn’t want to be “lucky”?
Every culture, in their search for special “lucky charms”, has their own symbols that they believe will bring them good fortune.
Not only were they considered a sacred animal in ancient Egypt, but they’re a sign of good luck in many cultures. Know that famous Japanese white cat figurine? It’s called maneki-neko and it’s a common lucky charm, believed to bring good luck to the owner. Lucky Dragon: China. If you were born in the year 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, or 2000 (and so on, give.
There are tons of Chinese words and phrases that mean “lucky”, “auspicious”, or “happiness”: 吉祥如意 (jíxiáng rúyì), 喜气洋洋 (Xǐqìyángyáng), 福气 (fúqi), 吉利(jílì), just to name a few. 吉祥(jíxiáng) can be translated into “auspicious”, and you can easily find the word 喜(Xǐ) in weddings and 福(fú) in couplets in almost every house in China! In fact, you can hear lots of these lucky words especially on Chinese New Year, when people wish good luck to their family and friends.
Today, let’s take a look at five Chinese “lucky aspects” that are seen as bringers of good fortune in Chinese culture. We will discover lucky colors, animals, puns, and numbers. We will also help you know how to express and understand these lucky images in Mandarin.
1. The color Red (红色 / hóngsè)
The frog is one of the most famous Chinese good luck animals. It is believed to bring fortune and prosperity. In fact, you have probably seen the popular Chinese three-legged money frog, kept at the homes of many people as a lucky amulet that could bring fortune and prosperity into their homes. Chinese Animal Depictions. According to Chinese beliefs some animals act as good luck charms and depictions of animals such as the tortoise, turtle, pig, frog, etc. Are believed to bring good luck, prosperity and longevity to a household and are also effective at warding off negative vibrations and malefic spiritual energies. 2020 popular 1 trends in Home & Garden, Jewelry & Accessories, Toys & Hobbies, Novelty & Special Use with Chinese Good Luck Animals and 1. Discover over 455 of our best selection of 1 on AliExpress.com with top-selling 1 brands. Shop the top 25 most popular 1 at the best prices!
Red is seen as a national color. The preference for red is deeply rooted in Chinese culture; it represents power, status, and confidence to ancient Chinese royalty, while to ordinary people, red means happiness, wealth, prosperity, and good luck.
The traditional Chinese wedding (婚礼 / Hūnlǐ) dress and decorations are all in red since weddings represent happiness. Also, you can see “double Xǐ” (双喜, or 囍 / shuāngxǐ) red papercuts taped everywhere during the wedding, even in the newlyweds’ room!
Nowadays, however, Chinese weddings tend to be more “western”. Brides may wear a white dress instead of traditional red ones, but red is still an important element. It’s a norm, for example, that the guests invited to the wedding would give out red envelopes (红包/ hóngbāo) to the newlyweds. The amount of the money in red envelops should also be an even number that includes six or eight (more on lucky numbers later).
![Chinese Good Luck Animals Chinese Good Luck Animals](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/dragon-statue-11744862.jpg)
If you’ve ever visited a Chinese-speaking country, you may notice there also are long red papers taped along the doors with Chinese words on them. These long red papers are called Spring Festival couplets, or “春联 (chūnlián)” in Chinese. The sentences on the couplets vary, but they pretty much all express wishes for a happy, prosperous, and safe year. They often sound like blessings (expressed as phrases or words) such as safety (平安 / píng’ān), good wishes (如意 / rúyì), or family happiness (全家福 / quánjiāfú).
2.Dragon (龙 / lóng)
We know that in many western countries, dragons are portrayed as evil, feral, and cruel monsters. In western movies or artwork, dragons are usually “villains”, trying to kill people by breathing fire on them. However, in Chinese culture, dragons have a totally opposite image.
“In the Ancient East there is a dragon, her name is China.
In the Ancient East there is a group of people, they are all the heirs of the dragon.”
The classical Chinese song “The Heirs of the Dragon” (龙的传人 / lóng de chuánrén) shows the Chinese people’s reverence toward dragons; they see themselves as descendants of dragons. Dragons in Chinese culture represent the greatest royalty, strength, prosperity, and auspiciousness. The ancient Emperors of China were identified as the sons of dragons.
You may have heard of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, in which the “Dragon” is one of them. Although dragons are imaginary creatures, their images and values mean a lot to Chinese people. The concept of “dragons” still deeply influences modern Chinese culture. As an example, the birth rate in every “Dragon year” always increases and is relatively much higher than other zodiac years. The reason is that parents always want to have “dragon babies”, born during the Year of the Dragon. What’s more, people just love the word “dragon” (龙 / lóng)! It has become a popular name, especially for boys. For instance, famous Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan’s stage name is “Sing Long” (成龙), and Bruce Lee’s is “Lee Siu Long” (李小龙).
3. Tortoise (乌龟 / wūguī)
The tortoise or turtle is known as a long-lived animal, so it has an image of both longevity (长寿 / chángshòu) and also auspiciousness. As you can see in the Chinese-featured animation film Kung Fu Panda, the character “Master Oogway” is super old and intelligent, and is highly respected by others.
There are “Four Benevolent Animals”(四灵 / Sì Líng) in Chinese culture, which includes the Qilin (麒麟/ qílín), the Dragon, the Turtle, and the Phoenix (凤凰/ fènghuáng). Interestingly, among these four benevolent animals, only the turtle is an actual animal, while the others are imaginary.
In addition to longevity, turtles are believed to have spiritual powers, and since they can live in both water and on the land, they are considered practical and closer to ordinary people. It’s also common for Chinese fortune tellers to use turtles’ shells to practice divination.
4. Chinese Puns
In the Chinese language, there are loads of interesting homophonic or double-entendre words. Chinese people love to use these puns in their daily lives, and it has become an important part of the culture. In particular, people love to take homophonic meanings and connect them as lucky words.
For example, during Chinese New Year, there are many lucky words and blessings all around. One of the lucky phrases, “年年有余” (Nián nián yǒuyú), means “the hope to have surplus wealth or good things every year.” 余 (yú) means “surplus”, and has the same sound as 鱼 (yú), which means fish. Therefore, to have fish on the table for meals during Chinese New Year means greater luck.
This is the same for 团圆 (tuányuán), meaning “a reunion of loved ones.” The word 圆 (yuán) means “circle or round”, so in Chinese culture, dining tables are usually round tables. To celebrate New Year, Chinese family members would thus have a reunion meal called 团圆饭 (tuányuán fàn). Also, the fruit “orange (桔子 / júzi)” has similar sound to luck (吉/ jí), so you will often find oranges on the table during Chinese festivals.
5. Lucky number
Just like the “lucky 7” in western culture, Chinese culture has lucky numbers, too. 6 and 8 are commonly recognized as good numbers. Why? It’s all about homophones again.
The Chinese pronunciation of six (六 / liù) sounds like “flow”(流 / liú), so the blessing phrase 六六大顺 (Liùliù dà shùn) means “everything flows smoothly”. Eight in Chinese, 八 (bā), rhymes with 发 (fā), which means prosperity and wealth. Therefore, it’s popular among companies or individuals to apply for phone numbers or car license plates to include the number 8.
9 is also seen as a lucky and auspicious number as. Nine, or 九 (jiǔ) in Chinese, has a similar sounding phrase: 长长久久 (Zhǎng cháng jiǔjiǔ), which means “forever, ever-lasting, and longevity”. Therefore, it’s common to see people prepare 99 roses to give to their lovers, which symbolizes “ever-lasting love”.
To sum up, there are many aspects and interpretations for good luck in the Chinese culture. They are mostly derived from ancient times and still take on an important role in people’s daily lives today. The lucky colors, numbers, animals, traditional customs, or use of language, are quite unique and interesting, and they contribute to the culture’s charm.
Here’s wishing you good luck!
Fengshui (风水), literally 'wind-water', pronounced fnng-shway, is an ancient Chinese philosophy studying the auspiciousness of environments, based on Yin-Yang Theory and Five Elements Theory. It's a form of geomancy.
Fengshui philosophy states that qi (气 /chee/ 'energy') exists in all things and is the life of the nature. The core idea of fengshui is the harmony between humans and nature (or the universe). Good fengshui means good fortune, while bad fengshui means bad luck. It is believed that fengshui can affect the destiny of an individual and even a country.
Lucky day scam. Through the knowledge of fengshui, it is believed people can know how to make themselves more compatible with nature, their surroundings and their own destiny, so they can have good fortune in finances, health, and life.
What is Yin-Yang Theory?
According to Yin-Yang Theory, everything in the universe is composed of two opposing, but deeply interconnected forces: yin (feminine, dark, and negative) and yang (masculine, light, and positive). These two forces deeply support and nourish each other, and cannot exist without the other. Fengshui aims to create a balance between yin and yang in an environment.
What is Five Elements Theory?
Five Elements Theory is the other important component of fengshui. The five elements are critical to defining correct fengshui in a space. They are fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Each element has a characteristic and represents specific aspects of life.
The 'five elements' is the fengshui term used to describe the composition of nature. It's believed these components work together and should be kept in balance.
Making Good Fengshui for Chinese Zodiac Animals
According to traditional Chinese culture, good fengshui brings good luck, while bad fengshui brings bad luck. You might want to know how you can make good fengshui for yourself according to your Chinese zodiac animal sign. Below is a simple introduction to fengshui arrangements for the 12 zodiac signs.
Rats - add Water in the North
The Water element helps people born in a year of the Rat to make a fortune. They should place a water tank with some gold fish in the north of their office, and then fortune will find its way to them.
Oxes - add Fire
People born in a year of the Ox can only make a great fortune with the help of a strong Fire element according to the Five Element Theory. So they should put some ceramic articles in their offices or bedrooms to bring themselves good luck, because ceramic articles are heated by fire.
Tigers - add Earth
The Earth element is very helpful for the people born in a year of the Tiger. It's necessary for them to add something prominent representing the Earth element, for example a potted plant, to their life to make a great fortune.
It's better if the potted plant bears fruit abundantly, which will help people born in the year of Tiger to make a profit from all sides.
Rabbits - add Earth in the Northeast
When it comes to making a fortune, people born in a year of the Rabbit need an invisible Earth element in their life; they should hide a jade item in the northeast of their bedrooms to bring themselves good luck.
It's believed that jade, buried in the earth for thousands of years, is the essence of heaven and earth, and will bring good luck to people born in a year of the Rabbit.
Dragons - add Water in the Northwest
The northwest direction is ideal for people born in a year of the Dragon to make a fortune. They should put a basin of clear water with a handful of soil in the northwest of their bedrooms, and then place several lotus flowers in the basin to bring them good luck in their life.
Snakes - add Metal in the West
As far as making a fortune is concerned, the direction west is ideal for people born in a year of the Snake. Wearing metal ornaments, particularly gold or silver ones, will bring good luck.
It's believed that wearing gold and silver ornaments (Metal element influence) will ensure people born in a year of the Snake won't need to worry about food and clothes, even if they do not make a huge fortune.
Horses -add Metal in the Northwest
The direction northwest is ideal for people born in a year of the Horse to make a huge fortune. They should place a bronze toad (something of the Metal element) in the northwest of their bedrooms, and it will bring them good luck both in career and fortune.
Goats - add Wood in the North
The direction north is ideal for people born in a year of Goat to make a huge fortune.
They should place a mahogany box (a Wood element item) in the north of their offices, and then put an object related to their professions in the box. For example, a cook can put a ladle in the box.
Monkeys - add Wood in the West
In terms of making a fortune, the direction west is ideal for people born in a year of the Monkey. They should put a plant (it is better if the plant is taller than the person) in the west of their houses.
Roosters - add Wood
When it comes to making a fortune, people born in a year of the Rooster should put some grass seeds in a non-metal container, and it should be a dark-red enameled one (use the Earth element not Metal). The grass seeds in the container contain limitless possibilities, which will bring people born in a year of the Rooster huge fortune.
Dogs - add Wood
As far as making fortune is concerned, those born in a year of the Dog should avoid the Water and Earth elements in life. They should place some peach tree branches (a Wood element item) in their office; however they should not insert them into water or soil.
Pigs - add Fire
The people born in a year of the Pig need the Fire element to bring them good fortune. They should put a set of ceramic articles (including a tray) in their living rooms, because ceramic articles are baked in kilns heated by fire.
How Has Fengshui Been Used?
Fengshui has a history of over 3,500 years. It appears to have been first used when ancient Chinese selected dwelling sites.
In Ancient Times…
Archaeologists have confirmed that ancient Chinese's dwelling sites were usually selected at places that are surrounded by mountains and girdled by a river. It wasn't just that these places supplied the basics for survival, like clean water, farmland, firewood, shelter, and sunshine: settlements followed such a pattern that fengshui seems to have been used.
In Imperial Times…
In the Han Dynasty (220 BC – 220 AD), the basic theory of fengshui formed; it started to be studied alongside geography and astrology. During the seventh to tenth centuries (Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms eras), fengshui became more 'scientific' and its activities gradually became differentiated. During the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1911) it became popular among common people in deciding the location of dwelling sites, buildings, furniture placement, and burial sites for dead people.
Chinese Good Luck Animals
In Chinese Architecture…
When we talk about Chinese architecture, fengshui has to be mentioned. It is a special Chinese architectural tradition that prevailed especially in ancient times. It usually links the process from site selection, design, and construction, to interior and exterior decoration.
Fengshui seeks to balance the relationship between human beings and nature, so human beings can live auspiciously within the environment around them. Juegos de mister bean.
All capital cities of China followed rules of fengshui for their design and layout. One of the great examples that follows the principles of classical Chinese architecture is Beijing's Forbidden City, the imperial palace of Ming and Qing dynasties.
Now…
Now fengshui is available to everyone. Banks, hotels, houses, and even communities in Hong Kong have been planned according to fengshui. Many people even use fengshui to attempt to attain greater happiness and well-being, improve family communication, restore employee cooperation, and improve business.