bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Zoey Zhang

Since ancient times, many Chinese people have believed that illness and misfortune are often caused by bad luck.
The Post takes a closer look at the customs and practices that have developed in China to ward off evil spirits and protect against bad fortune.
Fire jumping
Jumping over a fire is a traditional folk custom observed during the Lunar New Year.
Folklore has it that the crackling sound of a burning fire wards off evil spirits and bad luck.

The ritual begins by family elders setting fire to a bundle of straw at the entrance to a house. Men in the family then take turns jumping over the fire before stepping inside.
Infants are carried by adults as they leap and women jump in the opposite direction.
The custom persists in rural areas, such as southern China’s Guangdong and Fujian provinces, and northern China’s Qinghai and Gansu.
During Spring Festival, villagers carry a beautifully decorated sedan chair and leap over a bonfire to pray for peace and a good harvest.
Beheading roosters

For many, the rooster is considered an auspicious creature that connects the living and the dead.
In some parts of southern China, people believe that cutting off the bird’s head and tossing it over a roof can ward off evil spirits.
Sprinkling the rooster’s blood in the yard or smearing it on the walls is also believed to improve one’s fortune.
Roosters are often used at traditional funerals to guide the deceased’s soul. The custom dates back to the Han dynasty (206BC-220) when wooden roosters were buried with the dead.
The crowing of a rooster is also seen as a positive symbol.
Boys’ urine

The urine of young boys is believed to boost health and ward off evil spirits.
This comes from the notion that young boys embody masculine energy and boundless vitality.
The most valued urine is that of boys under 10, especially their first-morning wee before they turn one month old.
In southern China, eggs boiled in boys’ urine are a Ching Ming Festival delicacy. It is believed to prevent spring drowsiness and protect against summer heat.
However, some believed the practice may transfer illness, and sharing it could shorten the boy’s life.
Salt and rice

These two are also believed to frighten evil spirits.
In feng shui or Chinese geomancy, salt purifies negative energy, while rice is believed to calm the spirit and strengthen the body.
When moving into a new home or in the case of illness, salt and rice are sprinkled in each corner of the room to expel bad luck.
Movie enthusiasts may have noticed that in many Hong Kong zombie films, glutinous rice is often used as a remedy for treating bites from ghosts or monsters.
At funerals in some rural areas, the deceased’s family scatters salt and rice around the grave to guide the spirit on its journey.


Man in China finds dice lodged in nose for 20 years that caused chronic sneezing

Chinese ‘diamond bachelor’ cons 3 women, uses ill-gotten funds to lavish gifts on real lover

Ex-Chinese gymnast Wu Liufang blasted by Olympic champion for posting ‘sexy’ videos online

Chinese woman dies after laser treatments for spot and birthmark removal

Trending in China

China rituals to expel evil spirits, bad luck – beheading roosters, utilising boys’ urine

The Post runs the rule over some unusual customs practised in China which are believed to ward off evil spirits. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/YouTube/Baidu

Fire jumping customarily takes place during the Lunar New Year period. Photo: Shutterstock

Cutting off a rooster’s head and throwing it over a roof is considered lucky. Photo: Shutterstock

The urine of little boys can be used in a variety of ways to bring good fortune. Photo: Shutterstock

Salt and rice from the kitchen used in different scenarios are believed to expel bad luck. Photo: Shutterstock

Next Blackpink Lisa? Multilingual Cambodia princess ‘to train in South Korea for stardom’

Next Lisa of Blackpink? Cambodian princess reportedly eyes K-pop stardom. Photo: SCMP composite/IG@lalalalisa_m/Weibo

12-year-old princess Norodom Jenna has a huge army of online followers in China. Photo: Weibo

The youngster has already appeared on a major mainland television show. Photo: Weibo

Chinese ‘lady killer’ gains 1 million fans in a month after sharing life as kept man in Japan

A Chinese man who admits to being a kept man is praised for his understanding and supportive nature towards his partner. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

At first, he hesitated to pursue a romantic relationship with her because of his financial difficulties. Photo: Baidu

To help manage his daily expenses, his wife has set up a jar with 260,000 yen (US$1,740). Photo: Baidu

He keeps his wife company while she does chores and occasionally helps with simple tasks. Photo: Baidu

China child kidnap victim says mother’s voice in dreams helped her remember who she was

A Chinese woman who was abducted as a child has told of her harrowing role in one of the worst serial abduction cases on the mainland in recent years. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo

Yang Niuhua with one of her “adoptive” relatives about a month after she was abducted. Photo: Baidu

Yang, far left, with her biological parents in the only existing photo of them together. Photo: Baidu

Happy together: Yang Niuhua (left) and her elder sister Sangying, reunited at last. Photo: Baidu

Public outrage as China delivery man beaten by drunk woman for giving road safety advice

A drunk woman in China who attacked a food delivery worker on his first day on the job has been slammed by people on social media. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

The out-of-control woman wrestles on the ground with the delivery driver. Photo: Douyin

Despite the vicious attack, the rookie delivery man did not fight back. Photo: Douyin

Diverse China burial customs see cliff, sky, water, mummy, ancestral altar send offs

Ground burials do take place in China, but they are by no means the only method. Photo: Shutterstock

Cliff burials protect the deceased from the ravages of nature. Photo: Shutterstock

Sky send offs include the dismemberment of the deceased. Photo: Shutterstock 

Water burials can involve ashes or dismembered body parts. Photo: Shutterstock 

Ancestral halls serve as a place to honour and protect the dead. Photo: Getty Images

News

People & Culture

Chopping off a rooster’s head, tossing it over a roof is seen as a sign of good luck


Chopping off a rooster’s head, tossing it over a roof is seen as a sign of good luck.


Chinese superstitions

Provide background, definition and detail of a specific topic, helping the reader understand how something works or what has happened in the past.  (Eg. What is Nafta? US and Mexico are on the verge of revising trade deal.)


Explainer

Explainer | China rituals to expel evil spirits, bad luck – beheading roosters, utilising boys’ urine

Chopping off a rooster’s head, tossing it over a roof is seen as a sign of good luck

Fire jumping