Woman in China criticised for dumping rice into river for luck, says just ‘feeding fish’
When passers-by inquired about their unusual actions, they said they were doing ‘something good’
Two elderly citizens in eastern China sparked a heated discussion about the traditional practice of “releasing life into nature” after they were filmed pouring bags of rice into a river, claiming they were doing “something good”.
The ritual of fang sheng has been observed in China for thousands of years. Rooted in Buddhist teachings of mercy and compassion, the practice is popular among those who believe that releasing animals – primarily fish, birds, shrimp, and turtles – into nature will generate good karma.
On December 10, an elderly man and woman were recorded dropping several bags of rice into a river in Ruian, Zhejiang province, as reported by the news portal The Paper.
When passers-by questioned their unusual actions, they simply stated they were doing “something good”.
This led many to speculate that they were following the ritual of fang sheng, even though the object being released was not the typical living creature.
“It’s beyond comprehension. I do not understand their actions,” said a man surnamed Liang, a witness near the river.
