A proactive approach to luck

A whole fish

Many of the superstitions of China have been passed down from ancient times but are applied to modern life - even if only on a bet-hedging approach: They can't hurt and might help.

The practices often make people feel better about their lives as they expect a long life, better health, freedom from pain or disease, smooth relationships, prosperity and happiness. They abound during traditional holidays such as the Spring Festival and grand events such as a marriage ceremony.

For example, people celebrating their birthdays should eat long noodles, preferably one uncut piece, for longevity.

On dinner tables during the Spring Festival, a whole fish is a must. The Chinese word for "fish" is a homophone of the word for "surplus", so the dish symbolizes abundance in the new year. In coastal areas, however, the fish should never be flipped. That act symbolizes the capsizing of a boat.

For gifts, the combination of jujubes, peanuts, longans and lotus seeds is popular for newlyweds, because the phrase zao sheng gui zi, representing those foods, sounds like "having a son soon afterward".

In contrast, people should never send clocks or bells as gifts, as the word sounds like "burying the dead".

The Chinese also have deep fondness of auspicious colors and numbers. Red is the color believed to bring brightness, happiness and good luck. Eight is the luckiest number and is the most-wanted when people choose their telephone numbers or license plates.

In 2006, a shoe-making businessman in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, fetched the car plate C8888 for his BMW with 1.66 million yuan ($262,300).

The number three is magical, too. In 2004, a man paid 1.82 million yuan ($284,000) for a lucky phone number - 133-3333-3333 - at a Beijing auction.

Yu Yuanyuan, 26, from Cangzhou, Hebei province, quit her job in a trainee program at Masterkong, a company with popular instant noodle brands, in Tianjin in December 2010, five months after landing the offer.

With a fresh master's degree from Shanghai International Studies University, Yu soon found another job in Tianjin but changed her mobile phone number. She said it contained too many 4s and had proved the inauspicious cause of her troubles with the first job.

No fuss

Mao Weiwei, who spent that day hidden from evil at age 12, does not heed such superstitions. When she needed to change her mobile number in Shanghai in 2004, she asked for ordinary numbers because it would have cost 50 yuan or more for a string of lucky numbers.

She got a number with three 4s, which many people would have dreaded, because four sounds like "death" in Chinese and is believed to bring bad luck.

"I don't think there should be so much fuss made about telephone numbers," she said. "And I had six wonderful years in Shanghai, despite that unlucky mobile phone number."

What they say

I like visiting temples to see how the ancient connects with modernity. Though the Chinese society is evolving, the hope for prosperity and good luck and the fear of misfortunes remain at the core of typical Chinese family upbringing.

Steve Monte, frequent traveler from California to China

My wife and I are considering having a child next year. We never visited these temples in Beijing before. My mother-in-law and brother-in-law came from Anhui province to visit us. We offered three sticks (of incense) in front of every god and prayed for a smooth year ahead for everyone in the family, especially the coming newborn.

Du Ming, 30, an English-Chinese interpreter in Beijing

I am a member of the Communist Party of China, but also in awe of Buddhist and Taoist gods. I see no conflict between the two systems. There are generational differences, though. My parents and grandparents follow many taboos, the do's and don'ts according to religious beliefs, which I think are rather superstitious.

Chen Hua, 28, male, a dealer in Buddhist supplies from Chengdu

I have been a Buddhist for 20 years. People today need a peaceful mind to find balance and security in life. Prayers for luck and fortune from those half-hearted believers are not going to perform miracles for them. Praying settles their mind and provides hopeful prospects, but people have to mend their ways to harvest good results.

Zhang Tongyou, 63, male, a retired automobile mechanic in Beijing