In Taiwan, there is nothing fatalistic about telling the future. It is simply a tool designed to help clients move in the right direction so they may shape their destiny in the best possible way. It’s about trusting experienced teachers rather than leaving matters to chance or risking misinformed decisions.
Most Taiwanenese, including academics and politicians, visit a fortune teller at some point in their life, and many do so on a regular basis.
Fortune Tellers and Astrologers, Taiwan’s Cultural Web
Fortune tellers can be consulted all over Taipei, but especially around the temples and night markets. Many Taiwanese stay loyal to a particular clairvoyant, often regarded as a personal guru guiding them through life. Using tarot cards, palm or face readings, or sometimes fortune birds to select a message, they advise on every day matters, from the colour of a new car to redecorating a house, and life changing decisions such as marriage or career. They may even be consulted to predict election results.
For many in Taiwan, the most trusted method remains that of astrologers who read their clients’ future according to their Chinese name and the ‘eight figures’ relating to the year, month, day and time of their birth. Since a child’s name is believed to influence the future, it is chosen with care, taking into account the eight figures and also the five natural elements and the sound and number of strokes in the name.
Future Telling in Taipei’s Temples and Good Luck Gifts
The Longshan temple in Taipei is a popular place for telling one’s future and hopefully shaping it through offerings of incense, flowers and food. You may consult the astrologer or do it yourself by picking a numbered stick to open the matching drawer, containing your reading, or throwing two divining blocks. Ask a yes or no question and if the blocks land on different sides, the answer is yes. Fortunately, you may try more than once.
Be it wedding, Chinese New Year or other occasion, the traditional good luck gift in Taiwan is hongbao, a red envelope containing cash. Red is the auspicious colour said to bring energy and blessings. It is best to enclose new bank notes rather than old, preferably in even numbers and not in multiples of four, often an unlucky number since the word sounds like ‘death’.
Auspicious Feng Shui Design and Taipei 101
If anything symbolises good fortune in Taiwan, it must be Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest building and a booming financial and business centre. The number of floors featuring 0 and 1 represents the digital age, the exterior mirrors the enduring strength bamboo, designed like treasure chests to store good luck, with old Chinese coin decorations for even greater wealth. Add the energy-restoring fountain and other Feng Shui features and you have in Taipei the perfect blend of modern engineering and Asian culture, paying respect to all things auspicious.
At work or at home, many Taiwanese pay attention to Feng Shui principles to attract good luck. Feng Shui is said to draw positive energy from the forces of nature and increase harmony and prosperity. It’s all about the location and direction of doors, windows and furniture, and the careful placement of auspicious objects such as crystal balls, bamboo or laughing Buddhas. Taipei’s fortune tellers also recommend Feng Shui principles to improve their clients’ fortune.
Source: Taiwan A to Z by Amy C. Liu
Solange Hando - I am a travel writer, editor and photographer, contributing to a range of publications in the UK and worldwide.
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