Coffee House Writers

Top Menu

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Article Categories
    • Creativity
    • Culture
    • Design
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fiction
    • Food
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Home
    • Lifestyle
    • Memories
    • Nonfiction
    • Poetry
    • Politics
    • Relationships
    • Sports
    • Style
    • Technology
    • Travel
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Founder
  • Meet Our Admin
    • Chief Editors
    • Editors
    • Poetry Editors
    • Advertising Team
    • Recruiting Team
  • Testimonials
  • Apply
  • Login

logo

Coffee House Writers

  • Home
  • Article Categories
    • Creativity
    • Culture
    • Design
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fiction
    • Food
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Home
    • Lifestyle
    • Memories
    • Nonfiction
    • Poetry
    • Politics
    • Relationships
    • Sports
    • Style
    • Technology
    • Travel
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Founder
  • Meet Our Admin
    • Chief Editors
    • Editors
    • Poetry Editors
    • Advertising Team
    • Recruiting Team
  • Testimonials
  • Apply
  • Login
  • The North Wind – Part 9

  • Youngster

  • Parenting My Way With No Regrets

  • Cracks and Holes

  • Until Forever, Part One

  • The Mystery of Cash Castle: Part 12

  • I want to fly

  • Prayers of Lament and Gratitude

  • Circumstantial Truths

  • Bloom Everlasting

  • Ma Millie-5

  • Husband

  • Leap Year Killer

  • Making Peace With My Adopted Self

  • Platinum Moments

  • Evolution of Romance Novels: Part 1

  • Fairytale

  • The North Wind – Part 8

  • English Class

  • A Beetle Called Bertha

  • The Island Flamingo: Part 11

  • Mr. Keith’s House – Part V

  • Ma Millie-4

  • Mikligarður

  • Bloom Anew

  • Where is my wife Stacey?

  • My Teen Begged for Help and My World Stood Still

  • 8 Best Uses For Peppermint Oil

  • A New Journey

  • Cessation

TravelCulture
Home›Travel›What I Learned About Chinese Luck

What I Learned About Chinese Luck

By David Shelmon
January 1, 2018
1893
0
Share:

As we all know, American culture has its lucky numbers; Chinese culture does, too.

And, in case you’re wondering, no, they are NOT the same numbers.

As an American college student, I studied abroad in China last summer. My very first trip overseas brought me to two new cities in a whole new country. The first city I got to experience was Beijing, a first-tier city in China as well as the country’s capital. The second city I got to experience was Lanzhou, a third-tier city that borders the Yellow River and is surrounded by mountains. Beijing, by far the more world-renowned of the two cities, is a popular tourist destination while Lanzhou’s claim to fame is its reputation for its famous Lanzhou noodles. Overall, I was abroad for two weeks.

Turns out, two weeks in China was more than enough to learn lots of new information. From what I was over there studying to just casual loquacious interactions with the students from both Beijing Normal University and Lanzhou University, I accumulated a lot of fresh, new insight. It was a very stimulating trip, just as I had hoped.

It was in Beijing that I was told which numbers are lucky numbers in Chinese culture. While walking through the beautiful Olympic Forest Park, just one of Beijing’s many attractions, a student casually revealed them to me during our conversation. He told me that China’s lucky numbers are the following: six, eight, and nine.

Those numbers, of course, differ from America’s lucky numbers. Our lucky numbers, which we’re all very familiar with, are as follows: three, four, and seven. Pretty much every American has heard the phrase “three times the charm” at some point in life. We’ve all heard of and fantasized about the good luck that will come our way should we ever find a four-leaf clover. And, finally, who doesn’t cherish lucky number seven?

That’s us. In China, on the other hand, it is quite different. A six represents good fortune. An eight represents financial wealth. A nine represents long life and prosperity. Interesting stuff, right?

“666”

Contrary to Chinese culture, the number six in American culture is a bad thing. This is particularly the case when there are three sixes together. To us, three sixes is a demonic symbol, far from anything fortunate or good. Just like unlucky number 13, we as Americans tend to eschew triple sixes at all cost. To see an example of a typical depiction of six-six-six in our culture, click here.

Unlike the United States, three sixes are something to be celebrated in China. One six is already a good thing, so the more the merrier. That’s just how it is over there. I know what you’re thinking: our lucky numbers and their lucky numbers are far from being concatenate. TRUE!

 

In closing, if you ever get the opportunity to study abroad somewhere, by all means go. Why not do it? You’ll have a once-in-a-lifetime experience and come away from it with a new and untapped perspective on life in general. It’s a can’t-lose situation, really.

My interest in studying abroad was piqued just by simply deciding to attend a study-abroad information session that took place on my school’s campus one afternoon. Next thing I knew, I really wanted to do it and, just a few weeks later, immediately began applying once I settled on the program I felt was the right fit for me. Guess what? Turns out, I was right.

Now, it’s YOUR turn. Trust me, you won’t regret it. *Smiles*

TagsstudentCollegeluckUnited StatesluckyStudy abroadnumbersthreefourculturesevenAmericasixCoffee House WriterseightUnited States of AmericaninetravelamericanchineseSchoolchina
Previous Article

A Year in Review… of Books!

Next Article

Five New Years Resolutions You Can Keep ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

David Shelmon

David A. Shelmon was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area. Currently, he is an aspiring journalist who focuses primarily on sports. Basketball, in particular, is his specialty. He has written for the likes of AXS.com, Examiner.com and SportsOutWest.com. He hopes to expand his writing experience by joining Coffee House Writers.

Related articles More from author

  • a grandfather walking with granddaughter
    FamilyRelationshipsFictionPoetryMemoriesHomeNonfictionCreativity

    Nannu

    January 31, 2022
    By Chelsea Wolfe
  • PoetryMemoriesCreativityRelationships

    When You’re Lost, Just Read This: A Poem

    June 3, 2019
    By Melanie Blackman
  • MemoriesHomeEntertainmentCreativityFamilyRelationshipsFiction

    Five Movies To Keep You Entertained During Quarantine

    May 11, 2020
    By BriVee
  • Guiding Star
    LifestylePoetryMemories

    A Good Guide

    August 22, 2022
    By Ivor Steven
  • Cover Art with the title The Boozy Book Club and a book and martini glass
    CreativityFamilyRelationshipsFictionEntertainment

    The Boozy Book Club – Part 7

    February 28, 2022
    By Ainsley Elliott
  • CultureFamilyEnvironmentRelationshipsHealthTechnologyLifestyle

    Online Dating And Learning To Embrace Differences

    March 2, 2020
    By Sarah Sweeney

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You may be interested

  • Photo taken by S. B. Steele
    TechnologyEntertainmentCultureMediaCreativityMemoriesHomeEnvironmentHealth

    How Video Games Saved My Life

  • Neon
    FashionLifestyleCultureNonfictionMemories

    My Life With No Tattoo

  • bloody rose
    CreativityFamilyHistoryFictionFantasyPoetryMysteryMemories

    Secrets

Timeline

  • March 20, 2023

    The North Wind – Part 9

  • March 20, 2023

    Youngster

  • March 20, 2023

    Parenting My Way With No Regrets

  • March 20, 2023

    Cracks and Holes

  • March 20, 2023

    Until Forever, Part One

Latest Comments

  • Jill Grinnell
    on
    March 13, 2023
    Lovely

    I want to fly

  • Ritu Anand
    on
    March 13, 2023
    Thank you so much Vikash.

    I want to fly

  • Vikash Goyal
    on
    March 13, 2023
    Beautiful writing!

    I want to fly

  • The Different Types of Science Fiction - E. M. Sherwood Foster
    on
    March 11, 2023
    […] My serial publication The North Wind at Coffee House Writers! Part 1 is here. […]

    The North Wind – Part 1

  • A Beetle Called Bertha, is in this week’s Coffee House Writers Magazine – Ivor.Plumber/Poet
    on
    March 6, 2023
    […] Hello dear readers and followers, I now write for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a ...

    A Beetle Called Bertha

Find us on Facebook

About us

  • coffeehousewriters3@gmail.com

Follow us

© Copyright 2018-2022 Coffee House Writers. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s administrator and owner is strictly prohibited.