Fortune-tellers making 'feng shui' fortunes
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E-mail Xinhua, February 10, 2014
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| Feng shui — literally meaning "wind and water" — has been widely practiced in China for thousands of years. Practitioners were usually consulted before the construction or renovation of a building. |
In Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, fortune-tellers try to tempt customers into their feng shui shops, which sell hundreds of charm bracelets, jade necklaces, Buddha statues and mascots of Qilin — Chinese unicorns.
They claim that the lucky charms — which can cost more than 100,000 yuan (US$16,500) — have been blessed by eminent monks and "will bring good luck" during the Year of the Horse.
This comes seventh in the 12-animal rotation used by the Chinese to represent the year.
"Experts" in the feng shui shops also provide fortune-telling, saying that they can help customers pursue good fortune and avoid bad luck — though at a cost.
Zhang Yu, who lives in Nanning, went to a "free" fortune-telling session in a shop and was told she was going to have a bumpy 2014. Only the blessed jade stones in the shop could help.
"But the cheapest jade stone cost a staggering 1,980 yuan, which is ridiculous," Zhang said.
Feng shui — literally meaning "wind and water" — has been widely practiced in China for thousands of years. Practitioners were usually consulted before the construction or renovation of a building.
Though the government has never banned the practice officially, feng shui is defined in Chinese dictionaries as "superstitious beliefs in ancient China."
But feng shui is attracting people into shops.
A fortune-teller in Dongge Road in Nanning said he made more than 3.8 million yuan in 2012, while the cost of his shop was less than 800,000 yuan.
Feng shui "masters" want a piece of the business, said Chen Lidan, who provides feng shui courses in the Pearl River Delta in southern China.
"For instance, in Nanning, a city boasting a population of 3 million, there are at least 100 such shops."
One feng shui "expert" said, on condition of anonymity, that new recruits in his shop would go through basic fortune-telling training, and then deal with customers.
"If the customers do not know much about feng shui, then you should tell them that they are going to have a bumpy year, and ask them to buy lucky charms in the shop," he said.
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