15 Chinese Lucky Charms

China, along with many other Eastern cultures, is deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy, with symbolism playing a very large role in current Chinese culture especially in the form of Feng Shui.

An important feature of Feng Shui is the use of Chinese lucky charms and decorations to enhance the harmony of your home with its surroundings, which enhances positive energy while protecting it from bad luck.

As we will see through the 15 most popular lucky charms in Chinese culture, Chinese good luck symbols take many forms. These lucky symbols can also be used with specific elements to enhance the various applications of Feng Shui.

1) Dzi Beads

Dzi beads actually do not come from China but from Tibet. The Tibetan word Dzi translates to "brilliance" or "shine" and in China, Dzi beads are also known as 天珠, literally translated as "pearl of heaven".

Usually made of agate carved with unique patterns, Dzi beads are also popular in Chinese Feng Shui practices as good luck charms. Dzi stones are believed to be effective not only in repelling negative energy but also in storing positive energy for the owner's good luck.

Dzi stones can come in different shapes and patterns: circles, stripes, wave patterns, etc. They are commonly worn as bracelets, or necklaces.

2) Chinese Lucky Coins

You can easily distinguish ancient Chinese coins by their square hole in the middle. The round shape of the coin symbolizes heaven, while the square opening represents earth.

The faces of the coins are usually inscribed with four characters around the four sides of the square hole. This is the yang side of the coin. On the other side, the yin side, there are up to two characters.

There are different ways to use these coins as good luck charms, usually by tying three coins with a string or ribbon of red which is a lucky color in China. Coin necklaces are believed to attract financial luck.

3) Laughing Buddha

One of the most common lucky charms in Chinese Feng Shui is the Laughing Buddha or Buddha of Happiness. This lucky charm symbolizes good fortune, prosperity, fertility, health and wealth.

The Laughing Buddha is based on the story of a Buddhist monk who lived in 10th century China. This monk was rather eccentric and did not fit the typical characteristics of serenity and peace of a Buddhist monk, but he was always happy with a loving heart, so he was loved by many. This monk was then considered the reincarnation of Gautama Buddha, and is now thought to symbolize joy, laughter and happiness.

As a lucky charm, the Laughing Buddha can be placed anywhere in the house except the bathroom or toilet. However, it is usually placed in the living room or any other place in your home or business where there is money.

4) Chinese Lucky Cat

The lucky cat is based on the Japanese Maneki-Neko. It is a very common lucky charm in Feng Shui. The different colors of the cat can symbolize different things, and whether the cat raises its paw to the left or right also changes the symbolism.

If the cat raises its left paw, it usually symbolizes a male cat that attracts wealth, fortune and professional success in business. So you can place it in your office or the area where you usually work to enhance your success.

If, on the other hand, the cat raises its right paw, then it is a female cat which symbolizes prosperity, fertility and family happiness, as well as good health.

5) Great Chinese Fortune Ship

The Fortune Ship is also a very important lucky charm in Chinese Feng Shui. As the name suggests, it is a ship-shaped decoration that comes in various shapes and sizes. They usually carry gemstones and mini treasures to symbolize wealth and are very popular placed in homes and businesses.

The fortune boat is believed to attract wealth and good fortune. For proper Feng Shui, the boat usually has sails that fully catch the wind to symbolize moving forward toward a better future.

There are makeshift ships built entirely of precious stones and even gold, and others that are built of real wood and silk fabric, just like an authentic ship.

6) Three-legged Frog

The three-legged lucky frog, also called Jin Chanou or Chan Chu is also a very popular and powerful Chinese Feng Shui lucky charm. It is believed to attract and protect your fortune, while protecting you and your family from bad luck.

The three-legged frog symbolizes the circulation of money, and Feng Shui dictates that this statue should not be placed facing your front door. It should also not be placed in your kitchen and toilet or bathroom.

The common practice is to place the three-legged frog statue at the main entrance, while another statue next to it has its back turned to the entrance. This configuration is believed to protect the flow of money coming and going outside the home or business.

7) Amethyst Crystal Tree

In Chinese Feng Shui, crystals are believed to contain positive healing energy, and many people use them as focus objects in their meditation practice.

In this case, the amethyst crystals are arranged like a tree (with a resin or plastic tree branch) and are believed to have healing properties to calm the mind. They are also considered a good luck charm for wealth and prosperity. The amethyst crystal tree is believed to improve memory while maintaining calmness and can also help with insomnia. It therefore holds the same functions as the dreamcatchers to drive away evil spirits and help you sleep better.

There are also crystal trees made from other materials like agate, citrine, rose quartz, and more.

8. Dragon Turtle

The dragon and the turtle are symbols of protection, wisdom and nobility in Chinese culture. They are two of the four celestial animals (dragon, tiger, phoenix and turtle).

The dragon turtle, as the name suggests, has the body of a turtle but the head of a dragon, and is believed to symbolize good health, longevity, power, courage, and success. A dragon turtle statue is believed to protect its owner from betrayal in business and promote healthy harmony at home and in the workplace.

There are several types of dragon turtle statues used as good luck charms, including three of the most important:

• Dragon turtle carrying a pagoda (Wen Chang Pagoda) on its back. It is a lucky charm for academic success.
• Dragon turtle with a baby (or a pair of babies) sitting on its shell. It is believed to improve fertility and family harmony.
• Dragon turtle sitting on coins and gold bars, as you may have guessed, symbolizes financial fortune

9) Pi Xiu

Pi Xiu also known as Pi Yao, Tian Lu, Bai Jie or Bi Xie, is a Chinese mythical chimera resembling a winged lion with elements of dragons. As a good luck charm in Feng Shui, Pi Xiu statues are believed to protect their owner from evil spirits and negative energy, thus preventing bad luck.

Pi Xiu like to eat gold, jewels, silver, and water. Therefore, they are believed to enrich themselves from all sides for their owner. The Pi Xiu is believed to be a very loyal and obedient mythological animal, making it a favorite as a good luck charm for personal protection. You can find Pi Xiu good luck charms in different forms, such as keychains, bracelets, or even statues.

10) Chi Lin

Chi Lin is another mythological chimera from ancient China, a creature with the head of a dragon but the body of a horse. In addition, Chi Lin has the scales of a carp fish. The Chi Lin is also often called the dragon horse or sometimes the Chinese unicorn.

The Chi Lin is believed to bring protection to its owner, and also improve the latter's health and wealth. In addition, it is also known to be a protector against various relationship problems in order to promote a harmonious household. However, it is mostly associated with fertility luck. If you want to learn more about this creature and many others Click here.

As a good luck charm, you can place the Chi Lin sculpture near the main entrance of your home or workplace or in your living room. It can also come in various other forms like embroidery, statue, keychain, amulets, etc. There are also many different materials, finishes and sizes.

11) Chinese Guardian Lion

The Chinese Guardian Lion or Fu Dog, is another Chinese mythological creature. Traditionally, they are placed in front of imperial palaces, government offices in ancient China, and also temples.

Nowadays, Fu dogs are seen as a symbol of a family's wealth and social status, and so they are often placed in front of large houses in China and Asia.

Typically, imperial guardian lion statues are displayed in pairs, with the female holding a cub under her left paw, symbolizing maternal protection, and the male holding a globe under his right paw, signifying protection of his domain (home).

12) Lucky Bamboo Feng Shui

Lucky bamboo, also called Lucky Bamboo, is a very important plant in Feng Shui and is believed to bring positive and peaceful energy into the home it is placed in. Bamboo is a flexible plant that is also hollow inside, and in Chinese philosophy, this symbolizes the flexibility and open-mindedness of the individual.

Lucky bamboo can be placed inside the house, or you can also grow real bamboo plants in your garden. There are also various accessories made from bamboo poles that are believed to produce the same effect.

The number of stems also plays an important role in the use of Lucky Bamboo. Three stems, for example, are believed to bring three kinds of luck: wealth, longevity, and happiness. Seven stems, on the other hand, symbolize health, while eight stems bring fertility luck, as the word for "eight" in Mandarin sounds a lot like the word for "to grow."

13) Symbol of Double Happiness

The Chinese symbol for double happiness is essentially the word (xi) which is written twice side by side so that two of its strokes are joined together.

The meaning of this symbol is quite literal: double dose of happiness for its owner, and it is often used as decoration during holidays and celebrations (e.g. Chinese New Year, birthday parties, birth of a child, etc.)

The double happiness sign was first used as a wedding decoration, a symbol of prayer for the newlyweds to be happy and their marriage to be long-lasting. However, over the years, it has made its way to other Chinese festivities.

14) Chinese Phoenix

It is one of the four guardians of China (Dragon, Turtle, Phoenix and Tiger), the Phoenix rules over all other birds in China.

Male phoenixes are called Feng, while females are called Huang. However, the distinction between the sexes is no longer typically made today, and the phoenix is therefore often called Fenghuang, a female entity associating with the dragon, which is usually a male entity.

As a good luck charm, phoenix sculptures represent justice, obedience and loyalty, and are often used as a good luck charm for those experiencing misfortune, as it is believed to be able to turn around bad circumstances.

15) Koi Carp

Koi is called 鲤鱼, Li Yu, or literally translated as "carp fish" in China. There are many applications for this lucky charm. For example, a carp statue placed on a study desk is believed to bring academic success.

A common practice is to place 8 carp coins around the work desk, as 8 is the Chinese number for wealth and prosperity. A few carp statues placed in the bedroom are also believed to bring happiness in a marriage.