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Chinese culture
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Dreams about snakes or wedding dresses? An expert breaks down Chinese dream interpretation

  • A dream interpretation specialist in Hong Kong breaks down Chinese dream culture, from its ancient roots to how she helps clients today

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Monita, a Hong Kong-based dream interpretation specialist, breaks down Chinese dream interpretation and its relevance today. Photo: Instagram/_hungpage_
Joanne Yau

Learn the ins and outs of feng shui, villain hitting, and fortune-telling as well as the dos and don’ts for cultivating good luck in our series on Chinese superstitions.

People have, since ancient times, wondered about the meaning of their dreams. In China, systems for understanding omens and prognostications date back to 2000 BC.

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That is according to The Interpretation of Dreams in Chinese Culture, a book by Juwen Zhang, a professor at Willamette University in the US state of Oregon and an expert on Chinese folklore.

Among the most popular books on dreams – and one of the oldest – in China is The Duke of Zhou’s Interpretation of Dreams. The Duke of Zhou, a member of the royal family in the early Zhou dynasty credited with the writing of the Chinese classical text I Ching, is also known as “the God of Dreams”. His book contains short chapters about common dreams and their symbols.
The meaning of one’s dreams have been a source of intrigue since ancient times in China and everywhere. Photo: Shutterstock
The meaning of one’s dreams have been a source of intrigue since ancient times in China and everywhere. Photo: Shutterstock

Yin and yang – Taoist concepts according to which nature is made up of opposing, but complementary, energies – are central to the Duke of Zhou’s philosophy. Qi, a life force that is believed to flow through living beings, is also a key aspect and is said to determine whether we have good or bad dreams.

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Chinese superstitions
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