I see Fu! China's luckiest word

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At Spring Festival there are many ways to decorate, but one of the most common is to paste the character ‘fu’, 福, on doors and windows (facing outwards to keep bad luck away and bring good luck to the home). There is evidence that this custom dates back to the Song dynasty (AD 960 – 1279).

福 is pronounced fú and means ‘blessings’. It is traditionally handwritten in black or gold ink by itself on a square piece of red paper with a corner at the top so it resembles a diamond.

You’ll often see the character pasted upside down. This is because 福倒了 fú dào le (upside down fu) has exactly the same pronunciation as 福到了, fú dào le (blessings have arrived). Chinese symbols of good luck commonly involve this kind of wordplay. For example, bats are considered a very lucky animal as the word ‘bat’, 蝠, is also pronounced fú, the same as 福.

Fu are traditionally hung, along with other decorations, on Lunar New Year’s Eve. They can be taken down afterwards, or left up, depending on local traditions. In some places it’s considered unlucky to take them down as it would represent throwing away luck, so they are left up until they fall down.

Take a look at our images below to see some more examples of Fu that people have placed on their homes and businesses this Chinese New Year.

See the image below for how to write China's luckiest word!

Did you decorate with a fu this year? Where did you get yours? What style was it? Let us know in the comments. We are always happy to hear from you!

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Cultural Keys, a registered company in Hong Kong, Beijing and the UK, was founded in 2013 by three expats looking to help people better access, understand and enjoy life and traditional culture in China

Since then, Cultural Keys has helped hundreds of people do exactly that.

If you are looking to get more out of your stay in China, no matter your reason for being interested in this fascinating country, Cultural Keys can help you experience more. Feel free to get in contact and let us know what you are looking to get out of your time here. We'd be happy to help you in any way we can!

Cultural Keys

191 (North Gate A), Xiaopu North Road

Xiaopu Village, Songzhuang

Tongzhou, Beijing

北街191号 (北门-A), 小堡村,

宋庄镇，通州区，北京

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010 89595202