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Chinese superstitions

Chinese superstitions
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Chinese superstitions. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
A family where the lucky colour red for Lunar New Year. Fewer babies are born in the Year of the Snake, with many parents believing they will be unlucky. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese culture

Why are there fewer babies born during the Year of the Snake?

Many think those born under the Snake will be unlucky. On the other hand, fewer births means less competition for things like school places.

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Trending in China

Chinese woman wrapped in big plastic bag post-childbirth sparks curiosity

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‘Bloodworm love spell’ ritual sold in Singapore online store sparks debate

Trending in China

China woman criticised for dumping rice into river for luck, says just ‘feeding fish’

When passers-by inquired about their unusual actions, they said they were doing ‘something good’.

Two individuals in China were caught dumping rice into a river, claiming they were doing “something good”. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Trending in China

Explainer | Why red cloth covers guardian stone lions in China during auspicious events

Some villagers believe covering lion’s eyes on wedding day helps ‘prevent bride’s mother-in-law from being too demanding’.

Chinese culture

How Taoist funeral customs inspired Hong Kong plays and a movie

From hit film The Last Dance to stage shows, Hong Kong writers use Chinese funerals to find meaning and help audiences cope with death.

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Man pays China lover to burn old marital bed in ritual then she vanishes

Court rules fraud after gullible man forks out US$14,000 on ‘tradition’ to destroy bed which new love slept in with now dead ex.

A man in China has been scammed by his lover who persuaded him to “pay her ex-husband” US$14,000 to burn her old “marriage bed’” then vanished. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
Trending in China

Disgust as China mother posts photo of toddler son urinating over family meal

Graphic image shows arc of urine sprinkling from little boy over a table loaded with eggs, vegetables, steamed buns which family then eats.

Trending in China

Explainer | China rituals to expel evil and bad luck – beheading roosters, use of boys’ urine

Chopping off a rooster’s head, tossing it over a roof is seen as a sign of good luck.

Chinese culture

6 Chinese wedding customs to bring good luck to the bride and groom

Money, feng shui and lucky food all play a part in Chinese wedding rituals. We share why, and how to make couple’s big day an auspicious one.

A traditional tea ceremony at a Chinese wedding. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese culture

5 Chinese and Korean superstitions and which ones they share

China and Korea share several superstitious beliefs, but there are also a couple of key differences, including how they view the colour red.

Pigs are considered lucky in both Chinese and Korean cultures. Photo: Shutterstock
Trending in China

Explainer | China man steals 20 Buddha statues, claims their worship can change fate – how so?

Following the theft of more than 20 Buddhist statues by a man in China who claimed he did so because they could change his fate, the Post explains why such beliefs exist on the mainland.

Food and Drinks

Eat a dog head for an easy birth, and other Chinese pregnancy food lore

We examine Chinese superstitions and traditions about foods to eat and avoid in pregnancy, some of them still practised today, others not – such as eating the head of a white-haired dog.

Chinese culture

Explainer | Chinese funeral dos and don’ts to pay respects and avoid bad luck

There are many superstitions surrounding funerals in Chinese culture, from the age of guests to helping the soul escape hell. We look at how to ensure respect is shown and bad luck is avoided.

A red wooden coffin at a Chinese funeral. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese culture

Profile | Hong Kong’s ‘Ghost King’ on pursuing the supernatural

Hong Kong ghost hunter Edmond Poon talks to the Post about collecting spooky stories, how he started out, and why he became violently sick after visiting a derelict temple rumoured to be very haunted.

Radio show host and ghost hunter Edmond Poon talks to the Post about collecting spooky stories. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Chinese culture

Would you live in a ‘haunted’ house if the price was right?

In Hong Kong, the stigma attached to living where someone has died an unnatural death is so strong that a property agent may not find a tenant or buyer even if they lower the rent or selling price.

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Chinese culture

How to talk to the dead explained by a Chinese medium in Hong Kong

Ahead of the Hungry Ghost Festival, we talk to a self-proclaimed spirit medium in Hong Kong about how he learned to communicate with the dead, Taoist beliefs, karma and Chinese traditions.

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Chinese culture

5 films about Chinese superstitions, from vampires to curses to ghosts

Many films have drawn on Chinese superstition and the supernatural. We look at five shot in Hong Kong, from the comedy horror Mr Vampire to the super creepy, occult-focused Incantation.

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A still from The Eye (2002), one of five films we look at whose narratives draw on Chinese superstition and the supernatural.
Chinese culture

5 Hong Kong film set rituals to dispel bad luck and placate spirits

Did you know Hong Kong actors are given lucky red envelopes every time they appear in a death scene? We delve into the superstitions on film sets and the rituals undertaken to avoid bad luck.

Chinese culture

Explainer | What is villain hitting? Chinese custom less sinister than it sounds

Fortune-tellers explain the practice of villain hitting, a Chinese ritual popular in Hong Kong. Despite its name, it does not involve hitting any actual villains; its roots lie in the country’s agrarian past.

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Chinese culture

5 tips to avoid sharing your hotel room with a ghost

We offer a few ways to avoid disturbing the spirits when you are travelling, from knocking on your hotel room door before entering to making sure your shoes point in different directions.

We offer a few ways to avoid disturbing the spirits when you are travelling, even if your hotel is haunted like the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles is said to be. Photo: Reuters
Chinese culture

Explainer | Chinese number superstitions, from lucky number plates to dining don’ts

The meanings attached to numbers in Chinese culture explain why some people pay millions of dollars for certain car licence plates and some buildings don’t have a fourth floor. We delve into the superstitions.

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Law Ting-pong, chairman of Laws Fashion Knitters, and Miss Hong Kong Pauline Yeung Po-ling holding up two licence plates numbered 8 for which Law paid HK$5 mllion at auction in February 1988. Photo: SCMP
Chinese culture

What do your dreams mean? Breaking down Chinese dream interpretation

A Hong Kong-based dream interpretation specialist explains why she thinks dreams are warnings, not predictions, and how her approach differs from that of China’s ‘God of Dreams’.

Chinese culture

Feng shui office designer on how to create ‘balance’ in workspaces

Thierry Chow, a Hong Kong feng shui designer of workplaces, shares how she uses colours, lighting, layout and plants in harmony to make a productive space, and why there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.

Chinese culture

Singaporean architect goes viral on TikTok with feng shui videos

With millions of followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, Singaporean architect Cliff Tan’s quirky viral videos are bringing the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui to a whole new audience.

Singaporean architect Cliff Tan in a still from one of his Instagram videos. Photo: Instagram/dearmodern
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