Throughout the centuries, the Chinese’s have customarily believed that one can invite luck in by surrounding themselves with lucky statues, characters, and sayings. Chinese luck symbols can be seen in palaces as well as individual homes all over China.
The word for luck in China is Fu. It is a very common site during the Chinese New Year to see this character on placards in most cities and towns. The placards are placed upside down with the intent of bringing extra luck during the celebration.
To the traditional Chinese family, the dragon is the ruler of all the animals. These animals have brought good luck and fortune to Chinese family homes and workplaces for centuries. Their popularity and importance to China’s culture is very apparent by the vast number of temples and shrines built in order to pay them tribute.
Aligning the dragons natural power with water, the element they control, is believed to increase the luck a dragon will be able pass into your dwelling. China dragons are also a large part of many New Year’s celebrations. It is a common tradition to see a dragon dancing down the street, bringing good luck to the coming year.
The tortoise is another customary animal that regularly symbolizes luck and prosperity. Chinese tradition states that all the Earth secrets reside inside its body and the patterns contained on its shell. The rules of Feng Shui advise that a tortoise should be placed in the North, either inside or outside the dwelling. Most believe this will bring the most luck to its dwellers.
The closest creature the Chinese have to a modern day unicorn is the Qulin. This unique creature has an ox’s tail, horse’s hooves and legs, a deer’s body, fish’s scales, along with a dragon head, upon which a horns sits squarely in the middle of the forehead. This creature is said to bring about luck in ones career and fertility.
Most cultures place much value on plants for various reasons. China is no different. One of the luckiest plants to the Chinese is the bamboo plant. It has so many different uses but one of the favorite beliefs is that it enhances the power of prayers. The Chinese word for bamboo and prayer are very close in sound and therefore many believe it is lucky and its presence will help when praying. It’s also adored for its ability to survive the unkind Chinese winters.
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