Chinese culture, with its 5,000-year history, is deeply rooted in superstitious beliefs that permeate every aspect of daily life. From the ancient principles of Feng Shui and the balance of Yin and Yang to numerology and ancestor worship, these beliefs shape decisions about everything from choosing wedding dates to building skyscrapers. Numbers carry profound meaning, colors convey messages, and seemingly simple actions can invite fortune or disaster. These superstitions aren’t merely relics of the past; they remain vibrant and influential in modern Chinese society, guiding birth rituals, business dealings, family relationships, and even architectural design. Here are 100 widely observed Chinese superstitions and beliefs that continue to shape life in China and among Chinese communities worldwide.
Numbers and Numerology
The Unlucky Number Four
The number 4 sounds like “death” in Chinese, making it extremely unlucky. Buildings often skip the 4th floor entirely, and many avoid 14, 24, and all 40s floors.
The Lucky Number Eight
Eight sounds like “prosper” or “wealth” in Chinese. Phone numbers and license plates with multiple eights are extremely valuable and sought after.
Six for Smooth Progress
The number 6 means things will go smoothly. Businesses and individuals prize this number for its promise of easy success.
Nine for Longevity
Nine sounds like “long-lasting” and represents longevity, eternity, and prosperity. It’s especially auspicious for relationships and health.
Even Numbers Bring Blessings
Good things come in pairs. Gifts, decorations, and offerings are given in even numbers to bring double blessings and harmony.
Number Combinations
Certain number combinations like 168 (road to prosperity) or 888 (triple wealth) are extremely auspicious and command premium prices.
Colors and Their Meanings
Red for Good Fortune
Red symbolizes happiness, good luck, and prosperity. It’s worn at weddings, used in decorations, and featured prominently during celebrations.
White for Mourning
White is associated with death and mourning. Wearing white to celebrations or giving white flowers is deeply inappropriate and unlucky.
Black Brings Bad Luck
Black represents bad luck, secrecy, and negativity. It’s avoided in celebrations and happy occasions, reserved for mourning.
Gold for Wealth
Gold symbolizes wealth, prosperity, and imperial power. Gold-colored gifts and decorations demonstrate respect and bring good fortune.
Green Hat Taboo
Never give a man a green hat. “Wearing a green hat” idiomatically means his wife is unfaithful, making it a terrible insult.
Jade for Protection
Jade, a precious green stone, protects the wearer from harm and brings harmony, health, and balance between yin and yang.
Pregnancy and Childbirth
Hiding Pregnancy
Pregnancy should be kept secret for the first three months to protect from jealous spirits and the evil eye.
No Scissors During Pregnancy
Pregnant women shouldn’t use scissors or knives, as cutting motions may cause cleft lips or other deformities in the baby.
No Renovations
Hammering nails or renovating during pregnancy disturbs the baby’s spirit and may cause miscarriage or birth defects.
Avoiding Funerals
Pregnant women must avoid funerals and cemeteries to prevent attracting death energy that could harm the unborn child.
One Month Celebration
Babies are officially introduced to the world with red eggs and ginger parties on their one-month birthday, marking survival of the vulnerable period.
Confinement Month
New mothers must stay indoors for 30 days, avoid cold water, and eat special warming foods to restore their body’s balance.
Baby’s First Haircut
A baby’s first haircut at one month old symbolizes washing away bad luck from previous lives and welcoming a fresh start.
Protection Amulets
Babies wear jade pendants or gold lockets for protection against evil spirits and to ensure healthy growth.
Weddings and Marriage
Auspicious Wedding Dates
Wedding dates must be carefully chosen using the Chinese almanac to ensure harmony and prosperity for the couple.
Red Wedding Dress
Traditional Chinese brides wear red, symbolizing joy, luck, and warding off evil spirits. White is strictly forbidden as it represents mourning.
Bride Entry Games
The groom must pass tests and pay money to bridesmaids before collecting his bride, proving his worthiness and determination.
Red Envelopes
Wedding guests give money in red envelopes with even amounts, avoiding the number 4, to bless the couple with prosperity.
Tea Ceremony
The couple serves tea to elders, receiving red envelopes and blessings, formally acknowledging family relationships.
Boy Rolling on Wedding Bed
A young boy rolls on the couple’s new bed before the wedding night to bless them with male children.
Wedding Night Dumplings
Dumplings eaten on the wedding night symbolize fertility and the hope for children, as their shape resembles ancient Chinese gold ingots.
Mirror on Wedding Night
A mirror placed to reflect the marriage bed wards off evil spirits who might be jealous of the couple’s happiness.
Death and Funerals
Odd-Numbered Funeral Money
Funeral gifts must be in odd amounts, opposite of wedding customs, to prevent death from returning in pairs.
Feng Shui Burial Sites
Grave locations are carefully selected using Feng Shui principles to ensure ancestors rest peacefully and bless descendants with fortune.
Hungry Ghost Festival
During the 7th lunar month, the gates of hell open. Offerings are made to wandering spirits to prevent them from causing mischief.
Burning Paper Money
Paper money, houses, cars, and goods are burned at funerals so the deceased can use them in the afterlife.
No Tears on Body
Tears falling on a corpse may prevent the soul from reincarnating, trapping them between worlds.
No Celebrations After Death
Families postpone all celebrations for 100 days after a death out of respect for the deceased and to avoid bad luck.
White Mourning Envelopes
Unlike celebratory red envelopes, funeral money is given in white or blue envelopes to distinguish mourning from celebration.
Cleansing After Funerals
Attendees must cleanse themselves with pomelo leaves or walk over fire to remove death energy before entering their homes.
Feng Shui and Home
Mirror Facing Door
Mirrors facing the front door bounce good energy back outside. They should face sideways to guide chi properly through the home.
Bed Positioning
Beds should never face the door directly, as this is the “coffin position” where feet point toward the exit, inviting death.
Sweeping During New Year
Sweeping or taking out trash during the first days of Chinese New Year sweeps away good fortune and wealth.
Fish Tank Feng Shui
Aquariums attract wealth and prosperity when placed in the correct corner, but wrong placement can bring financial loss.
Plants and Energy
Bamboo and money plants bring prosperity, while thorny or dead plants create negative energy and should be removed immediately.
Wind Chimes
Wind chimes disperse negative energy and attract good chi, but they must be placed strategically according to Feng Shui principles.
Stairs Facing Door
Stairs directly facing the entrance allow energy to rush out too quickly. Remedies include plants or screens to slow the chi flow.
Bedroom Mirrors
Mirrors in bedrooms, especially facing the bed, disturb sleep and may allow spirits to enter through the reflection.
Fu Character Upside Down
The character for “blessing” (福) is hung upside down because “upside down” sounds like “arrive” in Chinese, meaning blessings arrive.
Food and Dining
Chopsticks in Rice
Never stick chopsticks upright in rice; this resembles incense at funeral altars and invites death to your table.
Not Flipping Fish
Flipping a fish while eating symbolizes a boat capsizing. Fishermen’s families especially avoid this to prevent maritime disasters.
Gifting Pears
Never give pears as gifts because “sharing a pear” (分梨) sounds like “separation,” predicting the relationship will end.
Longevity Noodles
Long noodles eaten on birthdays symbolize long life. Breaking or cutting them brings misfortune and shortens lifespan.
Dumplings for Wealth
Eating dumplings during New Year brings wealth because their shape resembles ancient Chinese gold ingots.
Finishing Your Rice
Leaving rice in your bowl disrespects farmers’ hard work and may cause your future spouse to have a pockmarked face.
Whole Fish for Abundance
Serving whole fish at meals symbolizes abundance and prosperity. The word for fish (鱼) sounds like “surplus.”
Oranges for Good Luck
Oranges and tangerines symbolize luck and prosperity. They’re essential gifts during Chinese New Year visits.
Mooncakes for Unity
Round mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival represent family reunion and completeness. Sharing them strengthens bonds.
Longevity Noodles
Long noodles eaten on birthdays symbolize long life. Breaking or cutting them brings misfortune and shortens lifespan.
Dumplings for Wealth
Eating dumplings during New Year brings wealth because their shape resembles ancient Chinese gold ingots.
Finishing Your Rice
Leaving rice in your bowl disrespects farmers’ hard work and may cause your future spouse to have a pockmarked face.
Whole Fish for Abundance
Serving whole fish at meals symbolizes abundance and prosperity. The word for fish (鱼) sounds like “surplus.”
Gift-Giving Taboos
Clocks as Gifts
Giving clocks means “attending a funeral” in Chinese. This gift symbolizes time running out and wishing someone’s death.
Shoes for Lovers
Giving shoes to a romantic partner means they’ll walk away from you. The relationship is destined to end.
Umbrella Gift
Umbrella (伞) sounds like “scatter” or “separate,” making it an unlucky gift that predicts parting ways.
Knives and Scissors
Sharp objects as gifts symbolize cutting ties. If you must give them, request a small coin in return to “buy” them instead.
Books for Students
Gifting books to students before exams means they’ll “lose” (输, which sounds like “book” 书), bringing bad luck in tests.
Candles and Incense
These items are reserved for ancestral worship and funerals. Giving them as gifts is deeply inauspicious and offensive.
Handkerchiefs as Gifts
Handkerchiefs symbolize wiping away tears and saying goodbye forever. They’re inappropriate gifts suggesting permanent separation.
Business and Money
Building Floor Numbers
Commercial buildings skip floors containing 4, sometimes jumping from 39 directly to 50 to avoid all numbers in the 40s.
Opening Ceremony Rituals
New businesses hold elaborate opening ceremonies with firecrackers, lion dances, and offerings to ensure prosperity and good fortune.
First Customer of the Day
The first sale sets the tone for business all day. Shopkeepers may offer discounts to ensure the first transaction happens quickly.
Lucky Money Amounts
Money gifts should contain 8s for prosperity or 6s for smoothness. Common amounts include 88, 168, 188, 666, or 888.
Phone Number Prices
Phone numbers with auspicious digit combinations sell for thousands or millions of dollars in China.
License Plate Numbers
Car owners pay premium prices for plates with lucky numbers while avoiding any plates containing the number 4.
Beckoning Cat
The Maneki-neko (beckoning cat) with raised paw attracts customers and wealth when placed at business entrances.
Daily Life Superstitions
No Haircuts in First Month
Getting a haircut during the first lunar month may harm your maternal uncle, so many avoid haircuts until the month ends.
Tapping Chopsticks
Tapping chopsticks on the table resembles beggars asking for food and brings poverty and bad luck to your family.
Sweeping Toward the Door
Always sweep inward from the door; sweeping outward pushes wealth and good fortune out of your home.
Whistling at Night
Whistling after dark attracts wandering ghosts and spirits who follow the sound to find living people.
Stepping Over People
Stepping over someone, especially their head, is extremely disrespectful and transfers your bad luck to them.
Breaking Mirrors
Broken mirrors shatter your soul’s reflection. Immediately wrap the pieces in red cloth before disposing to contain bad luck.
Pointing at the Moon
Pointing at the moon, especially the full moon, is disrespectful to the Moon Goddess and she may cut off your ear.
Talking About Dreams
Good dreams shouldn’t be shared or they won’t come true. Bad dreams should be told to prevent them from manifesting.
Twitching Eyelids
Left eye twitching means good fortune is coming; right eye twitching warns of bad luck or disaster approaching.
Burning Ears
Hot or burning ears mean someone is talking about you, discussing your affairs either positively or negatively.
Animals and Nature
Dragon Symbol
Dragons represent power, strength, and good fortune. Dragon imagery brings protection and prosperity to homes and businesses.
Phoenix Symbol
The phoenix represents rebirth, virtue, and grace. Often paired with dragons to symbolize harmonious balance in relationships.
Turtle for Longevity
Turtles symbolize longevity and wisdom. However, calling someone a turtle can be an insult implying cuckoldry.
Bats Mean Fortune
Bat (蝠) sounds like fortune (福). Five bats together represent the five blessings: longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and natural death.
Magpies Bring Joy
Magpies chirping near your home announce good news or visitors. They’re called “birds of joy” and symbolize happiness.
Owls as Bad Omens
Unlike Western culture, owls in China symbolize death and misfortune. Their hooting near homes predicts disaster.
Black Cats and Death
Black cats, especially near sick people or hospitals, are seen as omens of death coming to claim souls.
Lion Statues for Protection
Stone lions guard entrances to ward off evil spirits. Male lions hold spheres representing power; females protect cubs.
Festivals and Special Days
Firecrackers Drive Evil
Firecrackers during New Year scare away the monster Nian and evil spirits, clearing space for good fortune to enter.
Mid-Autumn Moon Viewing
Viewing the full moon during Mid-Autumn Festival brings family reunion and harmony. Single women pray to the moon for good husbands.
Eating Tangyuan
Sweet rice balls during Winter Solstice symbolize family unity and completeness. The round shape represents togetherness.
Qingming Tomb Sweeping
During Qingming Festival, families clean ancestors’ graves and make offerings to show respect and maintain connection with the deceased.
Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon boat races and eating zongzi protect against evil spirits and diseases during the “poisonous month” of the fifth lunar month.
Double Ninth Festival
Climbing mountains on the 9th day of the 9th month helps avoid disaster. Chrysanthemum wine drunk on this day promotes longevity.
Health and Medicine
Hot Water Cures All
Drinking hot water is believed to cure almost any ailment by balancing the body’s internal temperature and promoting qi flow.
Avoiding Cold Drinks
Cold drinks and ice water harm your system by creating internal “cold” that causes illness, especially for women.
Qi Energy Balance
Health requires balanced qi (life energy). Blocked or imbalanced qi causes illness; practices like tai chi and acupuncture restore flow.
Heaty and Cooling Foods
Foods are categorized as “heaty” or “cooling.” Balance must be maintained; too much of either causes illness.
Miscellaneous Beliefs
No Umbrellas Indoors
Opening umbrellas indoors invites bad luck and ghosts, as the umbrella’s shape creates negative energy spaces.
No Photos of Three
When three people take a photo together, the person in the middle will have bad luck or die first.
Writing Names in Red
Never write someone’s name in red ink; this is how names are recorded on death notices and grave markers.
Fortune Telling
Consulting fortune tellers for major life decisions is common. Methods include face reading, palm reading, and Chinese astrology based on birth date and time.
Official & Scholarly Sources on Chinese Culture & Beliefs
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gov.cn — China Central Government: Culture
— Official government portal describing China’s cultural policies, heritage preservation, and intangible cultural heritage. -
“China to build system of Chinese cultural identity symbols” — gov.cn
— Announcement by China’s culture ministry about promoting cultural heritage and intangible cultural symbols. -
“Folk Belief, Cultural Turn of Secular Governance” — Springer chapter
— Scholarly analysis of how the Chinese government frames “folk belief” in religious regulatory policy. -
“Chinese Superstitions” — South China Morning Post
— Journalistic series exploring various Chinese superstitions, feng shui, fortune-telling, etc. {index=3} -
“Traditional and modern Chinese superstitions” — Daxue Consulting
— Market / cultural consultancy’s write-up on how superstitions persist and evolve regionally in China. -
“Traditional Chinese Culture – Customs, Values, and Living Wisdom” — Charming China
— Non-profit / cultural site discussing how tradition, beliefs, festivals shape everyday life. {index=5} -
“Traditional Beliefs and Rituals in China: Spiritual Heritage & Customs” — CH Observer
— A descriptive overview of Chinese rituals, beliefs, ancestor worship, and how these stay relevant today. -
“Superstition and Statecraft in Late Qing China” — Past & Present journal
— Historical scholarly analysis showing how elites and officials in late imperial China dealt with “superstition.”