{"id":1181,"date":"2018-02-01T09:21:06","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T01:21:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/2018\/02\/01\/how-to-make-a-wish-like-a-chinese\/"},"modified":"2024-12-31T16:58:57","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T08:58:57","slug":"how-to-make-a-wish-like-a-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/how-to-make-a-wish-like-a-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Make A Wish Like A Chinese"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new year marks a fresh start for people from all around the world. On the 1st of January, 2018 people will be waking up determined to make a change in their lives.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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A new year marks a fresh start for people from all around the world. On the 1st of January, 2018 people will be waking up determined to make a change in their lives. But if you\u2019re like me and 99% of people then these resolutions<\/a> sadly won\u2019t last long into the new year, maybe you\u2019ve even decided to make one of these common resolutions.<\/p>\n

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Photo credit:sucai.redocn.com<\/p>\n

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Promising to ring your parents more often.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Starting a new fitness regime.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Losing those Christmas pounds.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Meeting your dream date.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Partying less and studying more.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

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This year you may be even more determined to make your New Year\u2019s resolutions come true but how can we make wishes come true? It seems that Chinese people have the answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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One thousand paper cranes<\/strong><\/p>\n

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One thousand paper cranes Photo credit:\u00a0m.gexing.com<\/p>\n

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People born in the 1980s are familiar with this tradition as it is part of their adolescent memories. The old saying is it brings the person you love good luck if you make one paper crane every day and continue doing it for one thousand days. Traditionally girls would give boys a bottle containing 1,000 paper cranes as a gift to demonstrate their sincerity as making 1,000 tiny paper birds is an extremely time-consuming activity and shows their love for them. Perhaps today\u2019s equivalent is taking a selfie and collecting 1,000 \u201clikes\u201d and saying it\u2019s for their boyfriend\/girlfriend.<\/p>\n

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The Kongming lantern<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Kongming lantern \u00a0Photo credit:\u00a0<\/span>zj.xinhuanet.com<\/p>\n

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The Kongming Lantern is a beautiful way of making a wish but did you know it was initially invented for use in the Chinese military as a signaling system? It is said that the brilliant military strategist Zhuge Kongming in the \u2018Three Kingdoms period\u2019 (25 BCE \u2013 220BCE) made this lantern when he and his army were besieged in Pingyang, Shaanxi. He predicted the wind direction and covered the lanterns in SOS messages which enabled the relief troops to come to his assistance. Today, Kongming Lanterns have dropped their military function and become the wish lantern which transfer people\u2019s hope to the sky. This is another proof that Chinese people prefer peace than war (The other one is Chinese invented gun powder but use it as fire crackers instead of weapons to celebrate Spring Festival<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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The Water lantern<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Water lantern \u00a0Photo credit:\u00a0<\/span>teapopo.com<\/p>\n

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Taiwan and Fujian Province are only separated by a small body of water called the Taiwan Strait. People living in Fujian who have family members in Taiwan would release these water lanterns to deliver their greetings and best wishes. Blown along by the tide and the wind these beautiful little lanterns are believed to bring good luck for those who receive them.<\/p>\n

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The wishing tree<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The wishing tree\u00a0Photo credit:<\/span>m.sohu.com<\/p>\n

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The most famous wishing tree is located in Taipo Lam Tsuen in Hong Kong. There are two banyan trees twining with wishing boards and red ribbons. People wrote their wishes on the wishing board and tied it with orange, then threw them up high to the tree branches. It says their wishes will come true if the board lands and hangs securely on the branches, therefore people made great effort to throw them. Finally in 2005, one of the trees dropped a huge main branch which could not stand the weight of all those oranges and people were injured as a result. Ever since, throwing \u201cheavy wishes\u201d to these two trees was strictly regulated.<\/p>\n

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The coin throwing<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The coin throwing \u00a0Photo credit:\u00a0<\/span>fund.stockstar.com<\/p>\n

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Usually in a temple, it is not hard to see a great quantity of coins lying on the bottom of a fish pool. People believe that God will hear your voice if you \u201cbribe\u201d him a little bit. Sadly, a few ignorant people have carried on this practice at the zoo and throw coins at crocodiles or other animals that Chinese people believe represent good luck. One day in June last year, China Southern Airlines had to delay departure time because a passenger had thrown coins into one of the plane\u2019s engines…..<\/p>\n

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The new year is here! The team at GuideinChina would like to wish you a brilliant new year with many achievements. If life doesn\u2019t treat you the way you want, please be thankful and don’t throw coins to a crocodile or a monkey!<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n


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