Chinese good luck charms

What are Chinese good luck charms called?

A charm worn for protection is a 护身符 (hùshēnfú), an amulet, or just a 符 (fú). Anything that brings luck is 吉祥 (jíxiáng), and a lucky object or mascot is a 吉祥物 (jíxiángwù). The best known are the character 福 (fú), good fortune, the 貔貅 (píxiū), the lucky cat 招财猫 (zhāocáimāo), the gourd 葫芦 (húlu), copper coins 铜钱 (tóngqián) and the red knot 中国结 (Zhōngguó jié).

What are Chinese good luck charms for money?

The 貔貅 (píxiū), a winged lion-like beast that eats gold and lets none out, so wealth comes in and stays; the lucky cat 招财猫 (zhāocáimāo), whose name means beckoning wealth; three copper coins 铜钱 tied with red string; the gold ingot 元宝 (yuánbǎo); and a statue of the God of Wealth, 财神 (Cáishén). The wish that goes with them is 招财进宝 (zhāocái jìnbǎo), bring in wealth and treasure.

Why is 福 hung upside down?

倒 (dào), upside down, sounds like 到 (dào), to arrive, so 福倒了, the fu is upside down, sounds like 福到了, good fortune has arrived. It goes on doors and walls at Chinese New Year; some families keep the main front door’s 福 the right way up.

Why do Chinese people wear a red string?

In your own zodiac year, 本命年 (běnmìngnián), every twelfth year, you are thought to offend the god of the year and have bad luck. Red wards it off, so people wear a red string bracelet, red socks or red underwear all year. Red is the colour of luck at weddings and New Year for the same reason.

What do the Chinese gods of luck look like?

福禄寿 (fú lù shòu) are three old gods often seen together: 福 holds a child for happiness, 禄 a ruyi sceptre for rank and pay, and 寿, with his tall bald head and a peach, long life. 财神 (Cáishén), the God of Wealth, wears an official’s robe and holds a gold ingot, and the fat, laughing 弥勒佛 (Mílèfó) is rubbed on the belly for luck.

What are feng shui charms?

风水 (fēngshuǐ), wind and water, is the art of placing things to bring luck. Its common charms are the wind chime 风铃 (fēnglíng), the bagua mirror with the eight trigrams 八卦 (bāguà) hung outside a door to turn bad luck away, the lucky bamboo 富贵竹 (fùguìzhú), a fish tank by the door, and a pair of stone lions 石狮子 (shíshīzi) guarding the gate.

What does the Chinese knot mean?

The red 中国结 (Zhōngguó jié), Chinese knot, is tied from one cord, with no beginning and no end, so it stands for unity, long life and luck that never runs out; red adds joy and protection. 结 (jié) also means to tie together, as in 结婚 (jiéhūn), to marry. The best known is the endless knot, 盘长结 (pánzhǎng jié), a Buddhist symbol; a double heart knot, 同心结 (tóngxīn jié), is for love; and a 平安结 (píng’ān jié) is for safety. They hang at New Year, at weddings and in cars, often with a tassel, 流苏 (liúsū).

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More Chinese luck

• Chinese lucky numbers
• Chinese superstitions
• The five elements
• What birds, fish and trees stand for