Chinese Folklore

3 min read

The Chinese Zodiac

Cycles of time are iportant elements of Chinese culture.Perhaps the most famous cycle is the 12-year zodiac，each year of which is named after a special animal.A person born during that year is said to have the characteristic of that animal.To many Chinese，the year of a person’s birth is highly significant，since it not only determines the character of that person but also the physical and spiritual makeup of the individua1.The animal sign is seen as a key factor in a person’s successes，failures and overall happiness.

Furthermore，the hour of a person’s birth is significant because each animal is said to govern specific hours（one 12th）of the day.

The Chinese animal zodiac directly reflects the theory of yin and yang，and can only be understood with knowledge of this principle in relation to time .

ang sui

Recently，this has become very popular outside China as something of a New Age fad.The name literally means wind and water.It is the practice of aligning objects in such a way as to allow the most efficient flow of energy through and around them Traditionally，chinese believe that a subtle energy permeates everything and that interterence with this produces disharmony，which in turn has bad effects.Feng shui principles govern the planning of buildings and the arrangement of rooms and furniture inside them to utilize this energy for the well-being of the occupants.

In mny western societies，going to a fortune teller is often seen as an act of desperation.To chinese，it is the act of a person who wishes to make the most of his fortime.chinese approach fortime tellers for pragmatic reasons.They often want to know when the best time will be to start a business，get married or who to marry.They usually go with specific cuestions in mind.To Chinese.fortune-Despite inheriting many philosophies which are based on predictable ccles of events and times，the Chinese are not（generally speaking）fatalistic people；the future is perceived to be unfolding along broad but not nbendable lines.Therefore，fortune telling is seen as another way of aligning oneself with higher forces to bring about harmony and the benefits that will result from doing so.

Jade

For many Chinese，jade is associated with many positive powers including the ability to keep away malign influences.For this reason，it is often given to children.Taoists ground it into powders to make longevity potions and whole suits of jade were made to preserve the bodies of emperors.

Jade comes in many beautiful shades of green and is favored by Chinese women not only for its cosmetic value but because it iscomonly believed that it can attract wealth and health to the wearer.Chinese often give gifts of jade before long journeys are undertaken since it is believed to protect travelers.Chinese say that if jade pales，the wearer will become poor；conversely，if it darkens，he or she will become wealthy.

Talismans are used to ward off evil spirits.Typically，they consist of small mantras（magical sequences of words）or prayers written.

The belief that lines on the palm of the hand can describe a person’s fate is strong in Chinese culture.They are also believed toreveal character，attitudes，health and luck in marriage.Chinese palmistry has two disciplines:chirognomy（based on the fingers）and chiromancy（focusing on the palm）.In Chinese palmistry，the finger joints，bones，wrists，nails and elbows are scrutinized.

Face Reading

The belief that the face can reveal a person’s fortune goes back to the Zhou dynasty.To this day，many Chinese believe that the features of the face can be interpreted in terms of yin and yang.This is read from the relative proportions and shapes of the facial features.There are ten distinct types of face，each type indicating the qualities and negative traits of the person as well as providing information on his/her fate.People with small earlobes are considered to be unlucky in money matters.Face readers may also ask for the date and time of birth to give a better reading.