Tally marks differ from country to country, as each culture has developed their own systems. Even if you know what tally marks look like in your own country — you may not know what they look like in China or Taiwan. So, what exactly do Chinese tally marks look like? The quick answer is it looks like this: 正. We’ll share with you now just how it`s used, but also its origin, so that by the end of this article, you’ll be well informed about this aspect of Chinese culture for banter at cocktail parties (or with your prison guards).

But before we get to正, let’s take a look at other tally marks from around the world.

The “Tally Cluster”

The tally cluster is a way of arranging tallies into intervals of 5. It is common in most parts of Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. To make a tally cluster, you mark up to 4 vertical strokes before using a diagonal stroke to mark the 5th one. By and large, the tally cluster may be the most common tally marker around world.

In France, Spain, South America, and some parts of Africa, they also use a tally cluster based on intervals of 5. However, instead of four vertical lines and a fifth diagonal one, they create a square with a diagonal through it (from upper right to bottom left). Order matters, so you must start with a singular vertical line, a horizontal line going right to make the top the box, then a downward line for the right-hand side, a fourth line to complete the square, and a fifth line that diagonals across it.

There are other less common tally marks (see below for another example, one that reaches up to a count of 10) but they aren’t the main focus of this article.

Let’s move on now to正, the Chinese tally mark.

Chinese Tally Marks

Chinese tally marks are used in day-to-day life, just like their Western counterparts. Children in school use them for keeping scores, adults use them for counting ballots, heck, people even use them to order a certain number of dishes when eating out!

They are actually widely used not only in China, but in other parts of Asia that use Chinese characters in their alphabet. They can be found in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and other countries. Like their Western equivalents, they also use a cluster of 5 strokes. However, Chinese tally marks add up to make the shape of the  Chinese character 正 (pronounced zhèng), which means “correct” or “true/right.”

The Origin of the Chinese Tally Mark

While not fully verified, the most agreed upon origin of the Chinese tally mark dates back to the end of the Qing dynasty. The story goes that at a theatre in Shanghai, there were several different sections, each with its own corresponding price. The lobby was the cheapest, since it could accommodate the most people. In Chinese, the lobby was called “正厅” (zhèngtīng) which allowed people to be seated in groups. The usher would count a group of 5 people at a time and then seat them. The owner followed, and started managing tickets in this manner. Since the character “正” also means “true” and “right”, this definition just added another level of meaning to the Chinese tally mark system. Currently, for most polls, Chinese use this tally mark to track votes.

Next time you’re in China or Taiwan, keep your eyes open! You might come across this system being used by people in their day-to-day activities, and you’ll be smart enough to know why!

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#1 废寝忘食 (Fèi qǐn wàng shí)

Literally, 废(fail)寝(sleep)忘(forget)食(eat) means “fail to sleep and forget to eat.” It describes people who are so hard-working that they don’t sleep or eat properly. Generally, it’s seen as a positive idiom, used to praise people who are diligent.

Origin:

The idiom originated from the famous Chinese educator and philosopher Confucius. Confucius taught many students, many of whom also became famous later on. This Chengyu, “废寝忘食”, is a famous Confucius’ saying. Tsze Lu (子路), one of Confucius’ students, told his teacher that someone, who had heard of Confucius’ fame, asked him about Confucius’ personality. The question took Confucius by surprise. “Why don’t you tell him,” said Confucius, “that Confucius’ personality is that he studies so hard without feeling tired, and he even forgets to eat; but still teaches a lot and is not afraid of being poor. He even forgets his age!”

Example:

1.为了考上理想的大学，我哥哥每天废寝忘食的读书。

(Wèile kǎo shàng lǐxiǎng de dàxué, wǒ gēge měitiān fèiqǐnwàngshí de dúshū.)

In order to get into his ideal university, my brother studied so hard that he didn’t sleep well or eat properly.

2. 哈利波特系列的小说太好看了，以致于我废寝忘食的看完了全部集数。

(Hā lì bō tè xìliè de xiǎoshuō tài hǎokànle, yǐzhì yú wǒ fèiqǐnwàngshí de kàn wánle quánbù jí shù.)

Harry Potter novels are such page-turners that I read hard and finished all the episodes.

#2 勤能补拙 (Qín néng bǔ zhuō)

勤(diligent)能(can)补(fix)拙(stupidity) literally means “Being diligent can fix your weaknesses.” It can be a humble as well as inspiring idiom, indicating that people, even if they have weaknesses, can always overcome them with hard work.

Example:

古人说，「勤能补拙」，只要你努力，一定能弥补先天的不足。

(Gǔrén shuō, ‘qínnéngbǔzhuō’, zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì, yīdìng néng míbǔ xiāntiān de bùzú.)

Our ancestors said, “Being diligent fixes your weaknesses.” If you are hard-working, you can definitely fix the weaknesses you’re born with.

#3 及时行乐 (Jí shí xíng lè)

及时(in time)行(do)乐(fun), in other words, Carpe diem. It’s common for poets to mention the idea of seizing the moment, to enjoy drinking alcohol, and to appreciate the moon in their literary work. For example, in Cao Cao (曹操Cáocāo)’s “Short Lines Styles (短歌行, duǎngē xíng),” he said in the first line:

“对酒当歌，人生几何?” (duì jiǔ dāng gē, rénshēng jǐhé?)

Meaning, “I sing songs with alcohol, because who knows how short life can be?”, in which the concept “life is short” is expressed, so seize the moment and just enjoy it.

Example:

人生苦短，所以要及时行乐。

(Rénshēng kǔ duǎn, suǒyǐ yào jíshí xínglè.)

Life is short, so carpe diem!

#4 半途而废 (Bàn tú ‘ér fèi)

半(half)途(way)而(but)废(fail; give up) is a common Chengyu describing people who give up when they are halfway in completing something.

Example:

他做事情总是半途而废，难怪成不了大事。

(Tā zuò shìqíng zǒng shì bàntú’érfèi, nánguài chéng bùliǎo dàshì.)

He always gives up things when he’s halfway there; no wonder he can never accomplish something big. 

#5 功成名就 (Gōng chéng míng jiù)

功(contribution)成(succeed)名(fame)就(accomplish) is describing people successful in their lives, Their accomplishments in work have brought them fame. It’s a positive Chengyu and serves as a kind of goal for many people.

Example:

她到大都市工作的目标: 功成名就后带父母出国旅游。

(Tā dào dà dūshì gōngzuò de mùbiāo: Gōngchéngmíngjiù hòu dài fùmǔ chūguó lǚyóu.)

Her goal when working in the big city is to be successful, so she can take her parents abroad to travel.

#6 逆水行舟 (Nì shuǐ xíng zhōu)

逆(opposite)水(water)行(go)舟(boat) literally means to sail the boat against the current. It inspires people to keep moving against the flow of the water, which means that they can conquer difficulties no matter what.

Example:

学习就像逆水行舟，不进则退。

(Xuéxí jiù xiàng nìshuǐxíngzhōu, bù jìn zé tuì.)

Learning is like sailing the boat against the current, it either progresses or retreats.

The facts behind the origins of Chengyu, their background stories of how they came about, can be very intresting—historical events, folktales, or fictional fables—these can be the sources of Chengyu, all of which convey true meaning and enlightenment in four characters. There are also some Chengyu stories that personify animals, with ancient wisdom also expressed in four characters. If you are interested in more Chinese Chengyu, click here to read “Chinese Idioms and Chéngyǔ About Animals.”

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In Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and some regions in mainland China, Lunar July 15th is not the only important day. Rather, all of Lunar July, the entire Ghost Month, is important. People not only worship and pray to the ghosts, but also are conscious of not breaking some interesting taboos. To do so would be bad luck.

So, what are some of the taboos that you should avoid during the Chinese Ghost Month? This article is going to enumerate the main taboos you should not do in Lunar July in Chinese-speaking countries. In addition, this article will also show some of the prayers rituals on July 15^th, and several interesting facts about Chinese Ghost Month.

Chinese Ghost Month Taboos

Every year, on the first day of Lunar July, people believe that the gate to the underworld opens and the spirits return to the living world for a one-month “vacation”. 七月鬼门开 (Qī yuè guǐ mén kāi) means “In July, the ghost gate opens”.

The Chinese call the ghosts “好兄弟 (Hǎo xiōngdì)”, meaning “good brothers”, which is the polite term to use when referring to them.

During this month, people take more care, and are mindful of taboos so as not to offend the “good brothers”. Ghost Month this year started on August 22nd, 2017. If you happen to be in a Chinese-speaking country during this month, why not be prepared with some knowledge about Ghost Month and its customs?

1. Don’t take pictures at night

It’s been said that if you take pictures at night during Ghost Month, you might end up with a ghost in your picture. If that happens, then bad luck will follow.

2. Don’t go to the beach or go swimming

Even nowadays, people still believe that “lake spectres”, or “water ghosts” (水鬼, Shuǐ guǐ) exist. During Ghost Month, lake spectres stay in the water and wait to catch people who come swimming to make them their “replacements.” There is a common saying that goes “水鬼抓交替” (Shuǐ guǐ zhuā jiāotì), meaning “lake spectres catching replacements.” The idea behind this is that the water ghosts can use human bodies to reincarnate and re-enter the living world.

During Ghost Month, people should thus avoid swimming at the beach, lakes, or other bodies of water. And don’t swim at night! This taboo is still widely believed, so there are discounts from water parks to attract more customers during Ghost Month. It’s interesting that this often works to draw customers who believe in this taboo, but who still feel that the discounts are worth it.

3. Don’t whistle at night

People believe whistling at night easily draws ghosts’ attention and makes them follow you home. In fact, making any other kind of noise is also said to do the same (plus, it is annoying to most people anyway). This taboo is true all year round, but is believed particularly during Ghost Month.

4. Don’t step on Joss paper intentionally

Joss paper (金纸, Jīn zhǐ), also known as “ghost money”(纸钱, Zhǐqián), is a kind of paper that, when burned, people believe becomes money that is received by deceased ancestors. In Chinese culture, people burn joss paper because they believe that ancestors receive them as their “pocket money” in the underworld. During the Ghost Month, not only deceased ancestors but also some unknown, hungry ghosts receive the ghost money as their gifts. On the other hand, if you step on “their” money this could irritate them.

5. Don’t hang your clothes outside after dark

People usually hang their clothes on their balconies outside to dry. However, you may not want to do that at night during Ghost Month! Some say that some ghosts may try to wear your clothes! They might even try to steal them because of the cold! (Of course, this applies to living humans, as well).

6. Don’t turn around or answer if someone calls your name at night

The Chinese believe that we shouldn’t call others’ names at night – nor should we answer if we hear someone calling our own names. Also, if someone taps on your shoulder at night, don’t turn around! You can’t be sure if it’s a human or not!

7. Don’t pick up money or “red envelopes” on the road

Some Chinese people believe that during Ghost Month, the money on the road may be the “road toll” for the “good brothers.” It’s best not to pick up the money that’s supposed to belong to them. That would be stealing!

Also, there’s a traditional saying that if you see a red envelope (红包, Hóngbāo) on the street, don’t pick it up. It may also be a dowry of a “bride” from the underworld, waiting for someone (alive or deceased) to marry her. The red envelope is actually a trap! If you pick it up, someone will turn up and congratulate you for getting married, in a so-called “posthumous marriage” (冥婚, Míng hūn). It sounds creepy, but fortunatelym it’s just something that happened more commonly in the past. Nowadays, something like this would be considered ridiculous, but Chinese people still avoid red envelopes lying on the road.

8. Don’t try to buy a new house during Ghost Month

Locals in Chinese countries try to avoid buying or checking out new houses during Ghost Month. The reason is that no one wants to attract “good brothers” to live with those who buy new houses. House purchases during Lunar July always decrease dramatically.

9. Don’t take the bus at midnight

Having read the previous taboos, you may be able to imagine why we don’t ride the terminal buses during Ghost month. The terminal bus usually travels at midnight, which the Chinese believe is the time when the ghosts are most active. If you take this late bus, you can’t be sure that no one’s following you home!

10. Don’t lean against or run a stick along the wall while walking

Ghosts are fond of sticking or hanging on cooler walls. Try not to lean on these walls during Ghost Month or you may be blocking the way of the “good brothers.”

Zhongyuan Festival Worship

Nowadays, Ghost Month taboos are not followed as strictly by people as before. It’s up to each person to decide if they believe in these superstitions or not. However, worshipping and praying on Lunar July 15th is still an important festival. We call this day “中元节 (Zhōng yuán jié)”, while in some other Asian countries it is called “Yulan Festival (盂兰节, Yú lán jié).”

During this festival, families and companies would set out a table of food as tribute to the ancestors and “good brothers.” The kind of worship (拜拜, Bàibài) varies depending on region or religion, but the main purpose is to celebrate the vacation of the “good brothers” and pray for everyone’s safety during this month.

Let’s take Taiwan as an example: the annual “Zhongyuan Pu Du” (中原普渡, Zhōngyuán pǔ dù) is their kind of worship for the Zhongyuan Festival. On Lunar July 15th, people prepare an abundant amount of food, fruit, and beverages, and pray with incense sticks. After the “Bai bai,” people then burn joss paper to the spirits.

Some Final Words about Chinese Ghost Month

Some people believe in the Ghost Month taboos and some don’t. But these taboos still have a large impact on society because of the decreases in house purchases, people getting married, or even going to waterparks!

Delving deeper into some of these taboos, we find that there can be rational explanations for them. For example, swimming in the water, as mentioned, is a taboo. Stories abound of people who went swimming during Ghost Month who suddenly felt someone grabbing their foot in the water, trying to pull them in deeper. Although these are others’ experiences, the idea of safety becomes important to them, so they choose to believe it in the interest of staying away from danger.

But of course, if one thinks about it, the Ghost Month happens in the summer, when the number of people going to the beach increases. If people don’t warm up properly before swimming, they could easily get leg cramps, which also increases the chance of drowning and injury. Also, typhoons can be another reason. Any kind of bad weather would definitely affect the safety of people who are going to the beach.

Whether people believe in these taboos or not, praying during the Ghost Festival is still important. Even with the differences in praying styles, and even with all the taboos, most Chinese countries still value this annual event.

If you are in any Chinese country during the seventh month in the Lunar calendar, be aware of these, taboos and see how people worship on Ghost Festival. Your understanding of why the Chinese do these things is sure to make the festival more interesting to you!

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Briefly speaking, Chengyu (成语, Chéngyǔ) are Chinese idioms that are normally made up of four Chinese characters. Chengyu are usually handed down from way back in Chinese history, and thus, over this long periodof time, there have been many stories that have resulted in many chengyu.

Chengyu are considered the collected wisdom of the Chinese culture.  Through the insights learned from chengyu, you’ll discover the experiences, moral concepts, or admonishments from the older generations of Chinese. Nowadays, chengyu still plays an important role in Chinese conversations and education. It is therefore important to know some common chengyu as you learn the language.

Chengyu about animals

The influence of animals in Chinese culture is extensive, as they play a part in Chinese zodiac, Chinese lucky culture, puns, phrases, and, of course, chengyu. The following stories are famous ones in Chinese culture from which chengyu have been derived. Through these stories, it’s easy to understand the meaning behind these chengyu.

1. 狐假虎威 (Hú jiǎ hǔ wēi)

Meaning:

Literally, this means 狐(fox)假(pretend)虎(tiger)威(power). What the chengyu is saying is that a fox borrows the tiger’s fierceness to scare or threaten others. We use this chengyu to indicate someone who is using influential people’s power to bully or pressure others.  

Story:

A cunning fox was caught by a fierce tiger, the king of the forest, and was about to be killed.

The fox hysterically yelled at the tiger, “You can’t eat me! I’ve been sent by the Emperor of Heaven to rule the forest! You don’t want to anger the Emperor of Heaven, do you?”

The tiger didn’t believe the fox. “What an excuse! You think I believe you?”

“If you don’t believe me, why not follow me into the forest and see how other animals react when they see me?” said the fox.

With great suspicion and doubt, the tiger followed the fox into the forest as the fox took the lead. As they approached other animals, they all ran away in fear, not because of the fox, but because of the fierce tiger behind him. The fox  simply pretended that the other animals were afraid of him, and not the tiger. The tiger, however, saw the running animals and was fooled. He thought the fox was telling the truth, and did not figure out that the animals were actually afraid of him.

Thus, the fox saved himself from being eaten by the tiger with this trick.

Example:

老板的侄子常常狐假虎威，在公司里命令其他员工替他跑腿。
(Lǎobǎn de zhí zi chángcháng hújiǎhǔwēi, zài gōngsī lǐ mìnglìng qítā yuángōng tì tā  pǎotuǐ.)
The nephew of the boss always order other staff in the company to run errands for him, making use of his uncle’s power.

2. 井底之蛙 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā)

Meaning:

This means “the frog at the bottom of the well”, and is commonly used to describe someone who is short-sighted and has a narrow and limited view of the world. This chengyu encourages us not to limit our understanding of the world, and that we should broaden our horizons as best as we can.

Story:

A frog once lived at the bottom of a well. From here, the most he could see was the small piece of at the well’s opening. All around him were the well’s walls and the shallow water. He never knew how broad and beautiful the outside world was.

One day, a sea turtle showed up at the well entrance and looked down. When the frog saw the visitor, he proudly showed off to the sea turtle, “Hey, I am the host of this well, and you know what? I am so happy in here. I can hop, sleep, take a small walk, or play in the water. Tadpoles and crabs can never experience my enjoyable lifestyle. Why don’t you come inside and visit my place?”

The sea turtle heard what the frog said and was curious, so he tried to climb down. However, the sea turtle couldn’t fit through the entrance. He pulled back and said to the frog, “Have you ever lived in the ocean and experienced swimming freely in the sea? The ocean has no boundary, and the scenery is spectacular. Even during times of drought, we are still free and happy swimming in the ocean because it’s as vast as the sky. Living in the ocean is real happiness.”

Then the sea turtle left to return to the sea, leaving the speechless frog at the bottom of the well.

Example:

别再当井底之蛙了! 你应该要出去看看这个世界。
(Bié zài dāng jǐngdǐzhīwāle! Nǐ yīnggāi yào chūqù kàn kàn zhège shìjiè.)
Don’t be the frog at the bottom of the well! You should go out and see this world.

3. 塞翁失马 (sài wēng shī mǎ)

Meaning:

This literally means “The old man Sai (塞翁) loses his horse(失马)”. This means “a blessing in disguise”. Usually, this chengyu is followed by “焉知非福 (Yān zhī fēi fú)”, meaning “Who knows whether it’s a bad thing or not?” “塞翁失马，焉知非福” is one of the most commonly said Chinese proverbs.

Story:

Once upon a time, there was an old man named Sai. In his stable, he kept many horses. One day, one of his horses escaped. The neighbors came to Sai and tried to comfort him, but instead of being upset, Sai said, “Who knows? Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise!”

A few days later, the escaped horse came back to the stable with another beautiful and healthy horse. The neighbors heard about this, and they came to Sai again, congratulating him for having another horse

Sai didn’t seem to be happy though. “Well, it costs me nothing to get this horse, so maybe it’s not a good thing.”

A few days later, the son of Sai rode on this new and beautiful horse but unfortunately fell off of it, breaking his leg. The neighbors came once again to comfort Sai. Sai said once more that it may be a blessing in disguise.

In a few days, the land was suddenly thrust into a war, and most of the men in the village were recruited to the army.  Many of them died in the war, but the son of Sai couldn’t serve in the army because of his leg injury. Only then did the neighbors understand what Sai said about all this being a “blessing in disguise”.

Examples:

A: 你有听说昨晚那场派对发生火灾了吗?
(Nǐ yǒu tīng shuō zuó wǎn nà chǎng pàiduì fāshēng huǒzāi le ma?)
Did you hear about the fire at the party last night?

B: 对阿! 我本来要去那场派对，但是我拉肚子，没去。
(Duì ā! Wǒ běnlái yào qù nà chǎng pàiduì, dànshì wǒ lādùzi, méiqù.)
Yes! I was actually planning to go to that party, but I couldn’t go because of diarrhea.

A: 真是塞翁失马，焉知非福!
(Zhēnshi sàiwēngshīmǎ, yān zhī fēi fú!)
That was a blessing in disguise!

4. 杯弓蛇影 (bēi gōng shé yǐng)

Meaning:

This literally says 杯(glass)弓(bow)蛇(snake)影 (reflections), and means seeing the bow’s reflection on the glass as a snake. This chengyu means that someone is being paranoid or scared, worrying too much about things that are not real.

Story:

In ancient times, a man visited his relative Yuè Guǎng’s house. While having some wine, he saw a small snake in his glass. He felt uneasy, but he didn’t want to bother Yue Guang, so he still finished the wine. Afterwards, Yue Guang heard that his relative was seriously sick and was not getting better. Yue Guang eventually heard his sick relative talk about the snake in the glass, and he was confused, since he believed it was impossible that this could have happened.

Yue Guang took the glass, and saw that there was a snake pattern carved into a decorative bow hanging on his wall. He realized that it must’ve been the reflection of this snake pattern on the glass that his relative saw. Yue Guang invited his relative to his house again and explained the reflections to him. The relative realized he was wrong, and gradually recovered from his illness.

Example:

自从看了那部鬼片之后，晾在外面的衣服都被她看成鬼魂，真是杯弓蛇影啊!
(Zìcóng kànle nà bù guǐ piàn zhīhòu, liàng zài wàimiàn de yīfú dōu bèi tā kàn chéng guǐhún, zhēnshi bēigōngshéyǐng a!)
Since she watched that horror movie, she even thinks the clothes hung out there were ghosts! She’s afraid of illusions!

A: 你为什么一直往那边看?
(Nǐ wèishénme yīzhí wǎng nà biān kàn?)
Why do you keep looking that way?

B: 没事，老板们在讲话，时不时往我这看，我怕我会被开除。
(Méishì, lǎobǎnmen zài jiǎnghuà, shíbùshí wǎng wǒ zhè kàn, wǒ pà wǒ huì bèi kāichú.)
Nothing, just that the bosses are talking and turning to me often. I am thinking that they are going to fire me.

A: 你听谁说的呀? 别杯弓蛇影了。
(Nǐ tīng shéi shuō de ya? Bié bēigōngshéyǐngle.)
Where did you get that? Don’t be afraid, it’s all in your head!

Memorize and use Chinese chengyu through stories

These are just a few chengyu. Chinese learners may find chengyu hard to remember and learn because there are so many of them. However, most chengyu have background stories like the ones above. Through these stories, it is much easier to memorize common and useful chengyu. Learning chengyu is also an interesting way to learn Chinese.

I hope this article has not only increased your knowledge about Chinese idioms, but has helped you learn more Chinese as well! If you are interested in more Chinese chengyu and their stories, don’t hesitate to comment below and tell us what else about chengyu you would like to read about!

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Every culture, in their search for special “lucky charms”, has their own symbols that they believe will bring them good fortune.

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)

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).

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!

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Accommodations are a huge part of traveling, and it’s not surprising that the Chinese have developed some very unusual superstitions over time about them. Today, we will talk about 10 Chinese travel superstitions that most Asian people either know or actively practice!

Chinese Superstition Background Knowledge

You can’t start talking about Chinese superstitions without first understanding the concept of “Yin” and “Yang.”

Many of you might have heard of the Chinese taijitu symbol which represents the balance of the entire universe. “Yin” is the dark, shady side, while “Yang” is the bright, positive side. Chinese people believe that according to the time and date of your birth, everyone has a different balance of yin and yang energy. Men tend to have more yang energy and women with more yin energy. Humans are also considered as yang while ghosts as yin. That is why people with less yang energy are more likely to run into spirits.

With that out of the way — are you ready to walk through these 10 Chinese travel superstitions with us? Tread carefully, it’s about to get spooky!

1.  Knock on the door before you enter

The first superstition of Chinese travelers is to knock on the door of any hotel to inform the person (or spirit!) inside that they are about to enter. In the view of traditional Chinese superstitions, knocking on the door before entering is a polite way to announce to the spirit of the room that they’re about to go in.  While knocking, some might even go as far to say “So sorry for disturbing…. we’re only staying for ____ nights!” Some Chinese also choose to stand sideways while opening the door to give the spirit a chance to leave the room before you enter.

2.  Flush the toilet right away

Some Chinese travelers believe that flushing the toilet also flushes away negative energy. Plus, the flush is another kind way to tell the resident spirit that, “Hey! Someone is here!” This superstition may have persisted because it is also just a hygienic way to make your toilet is properly clean from the get-go! For whatever reason you choose, flush your toilet and ensure that your hotel room is ‘clean’.

3.  Pat the pillow before going to bed

Patting the pillow (and blanket!) before going to sleep is third way to tell the spirit that you’re going to use it. Again, this shows your politeness to the spirits (if they haven’t already left the room after all the knocking and flushing!). The thinking is that if you just lie on the bed as soon as you enter, you might land on top of the spirit and they might get angry. By patting the pillow, you gently announce your presence and pat away the bad spirits and energy.

4.  Place your shoes in opposite direction

Chinese tourists are known to place their shoes in opposite directions after they enter their hotel room. This custom is to stop spirits from wearing the shoes and knowing where you are. The logic goes like this — placing the shoes in the opposite directions of the bed helps confuse the spirit about whether or not you’re in bed. As a bonus, it also makes it harder for the spirits to put on your shoes.

5.  Don’t touch the Bible/Koran

In Chinese superstition, it is said that you should not open the Bible or even touch it because you shouldn’t disturb the very thing that is keeping you safe. In many hotel and hostels it is common to see a Bible in the drawer or on the table next to the bed. Chinese superstition says that it is better not to move it or open it.

Chinese superstition pro-tip: If you book a room and find that the Bible has already been opened, it is best to request a changing of logic — because if it has been opened, it’s probably for a reason!

6.  Don’t hang up your clothes

Chinese may also believe that if you hang up your clothes, ghosts can easily slip into them and start wearing them around! At the same time, there’s a practical reason as well for this superstition. Closet are sometimes musty and considered either “bad energy” or “not clean.” When a place is musty, it’s more likely to attract spirits to gather or you’ll can easily get sick.

Chinese superstition pro-tip: Fold your clothes or simply put them on a chair or table to avoid wearing a new friend back home.

7.  Avoid rooms at the “extreme end”

Rooms at the very end of a floor lack a “public presence.”. When less people pass by your doorway you get less yang energy. With less yang energy, ghosts tend to gather around those area — making them much more dangerous to live in. If you’re living alone, definitely try to avoid rooms at the very ends of hallways.

8.  Occupy all beds

If you are traveling alone and have been given a room with two beds, put your suitcase, clothes, books and more on top of the bed you’re not sleeping on. Some believe that empty beds attract ghosts to sleep on (since nobody is using it). Remember what we’ve mentioned in point 3? Pat the pillow and blanket to warn the spirits that you’re going to use the bed. Do the same for the empty bed to add even more yang energy.

9.  Close the toilet door at night

In Chinese culture, the toilet is viewed as a very yin place. It is believed that evil spirits frequently like to stay in the toilet and/or restroom. Remember to turn on the light and close the toilet door before you go to sleep.

Chinese superstition pro-tip: Leave the bathroom lights on to add more yang energy.

10.  Don’t sleep facing mirrors

Sleeping while facing a mirror is said to decrease your yang energy. Mirrors are not only full of yin energy but are also considered portals for ghosts all over the world. To some, mirrors might even be used to steal your soul! This is said to be especially dangerous when you’re tired and only half awake.
Chinese superstition pro-tip: Don’t even take pictures with mirrors in them, you never know what might come out of the background!

Overall

Superstitions are still quite common in our day to day life. In Western culture, it may be the number thirteen, walking under a ladder, or spotting a black ca.t. In Chinese culture, it manifests into many different way — confused bits of wisdom from the past that have been mixed and matched over time. So believe it or not, it’s up to you! Of course whether you believe it or not, it’s still an interesting thing to know about!
Seriously, though, don’t forget to pat your bed down.

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