Chien Tung
Encyclopedia
Kau Cim is a fortune telling practice that originated in China
in which the querent requests answers from a sacred oracle lot. The practice is often performed in a Taoist
or Buddhist
temple
in front of an altar. Kau Cim is often referred to as Chien Tung or Chinese Fortune Sticks by westerners. In the USA, a version has been sold since 1915 under the name Chi Chi Sticks. Kau Cim is also sometimes known as "The Oracle
of Kuan Yin
" in Buddhist
traditions.
The prediction begins with the cup storing a number of the sticks. After the querent has finished their devotions to the main deity, the querent kneels and thinks silently or whispers it to the deity about their question while holding the cup between their palms. This part needs to be done decisively as one should not shift questions or hesitate on the question in the middle of the rite. The shaking of the cylinder, which is usually tipped slightly downward, results in at least one stick leaving the cylinder and being dropped onto the floor. In most cases, if multiple sticks leave the cylinder, those fortunes would not count and must be shaken again. Each stick, with its designated number, represents one answer.
Once a single stick falls out, that stick will have a number on it that will correspond to a number, leading to a single piece of paper with an answer. The writing on the piece of paper will provide an answer to the question. To confirm the validity of the answer given by the deity, the querent will pick up and toss two jiaobei blocks
(筊杯). Each block is round on one side and flat on the other. A successful answer requires one side flat and one side round to be shown when tossed, a failed answer will result in two round sides tossed. In some practices, much emphasis is placed on denial when both sides flat are tossed; some legends that say when this happens, the deities are laughing at the querent. The querent will have the option to ask for a fortune again until a successful answer can be made.
Following a successful fortune, interpretation may be needed to comprehend the answer. Answers can be interpreted by a temple priest or volunteers or can be interpreted by the querent. In many cases, an offering is made prior to the asking of the question in order to carry good favor from the higher powers. These offerings typically consist of incense
, fresh fruits, cakes, a roasted pig
or fowl, or monetary donations.
the handheld bucket is replaced with a larger container. On the inside at the bottom of the container are protrusions (such as the heads of fixing bolts). To consult the oracle, the querent holds the sticks in a vertical bundle, raises them a little inside the bucket and drops them while holding them loosely. Any stick that stands proud of the rest (because it is resting on a protrusion, not having bounced off) is considered part of the divined answer.
as the starting point. The interpreter typically charges a small fee. Often, interpreters provide other services such as palm or face reading.
Because the accuracy of the prediction very much depend on the interpreter, some people run the result through a number of different interpreters to see whether similar results are drawn. The interpreted answer is usually a historical Chinese story re-told in modern sense. The story is basically the forthcoming event the querent is about to experience.
, by and large the most popular place for this fortune telling practice is the Wong Tai Sin Temple
which draws thousands to millions of people each year.
, where a large population of Chinese immigrants had settled. The sticks were made in China of bamboo but they were marked with Arabic numerals instead of Chinese characters, and were packaged in a bright yellow and red chipboard
tube with a black lid (like a modern mailing tube). They were accompanied by a rolled-up book of rhyming interpretations that fit inside the tube with the sticks.
By the early 1920s, Chi Chi sticks were available all across America, from several importers and under a variety of trade names. They were heavily marketed to African American
fortune tellers through mail-order catalogues. They fell out of popularity during World War II
, but only due to problems with supply, as China had been invaded by Japan
and trade routes were disrupted.
In the 1990s importations of kau cim sticks were again available in the USA, this time packaged in leather-covered tubes painted with ornate Chinese designs -- but still with the old rhyming Chi Chi stick booklet so well known to Americans. Meanwhile, vintage Chi Chi sticks of the 1915-1935 era -- if all their parts and the booklet are intact -- have become highly desirable collectibles among those who collect artifacts related to fortune telling.
The practice of using sticks in Chien Tung may be related to the game of pick-up sticks
played today. This theory is based on a Japan
ese variation, called Mikado
, which also has an emperor stick. A form of the game developed in the 16th century and may have been adapted from Chinese culture and religion.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in which the querent requests answers from a sacred oracle lot. The practice is often performed in a Taoist
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
or Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
temple
Temple (Chinese)
A Chinese temple can refer to any temple which is used for the practice of Chinese folk religion, a conglomeration of China's three main religions: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism...
in front of an altar. Kau Cim is often referred to as Chien Tung or Chinese Fortune Sticks by westerners. In the USA, a version has been sold since 1915 under the name Chi Chi Sticks. Kau Cim is also sometimes known as "The Oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
of Kuan Yin
Kuan Yin
Guanyin is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin which means "Observing the Sounds of the World". She is also sometimes referred to as Guanyin Pusa...
" in Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
traditions.
Tools
- Cim Bucket (Chinese: 簽筒 pinyinPinyinPinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
qian1 tong2, cim tong) A long cylindrical bamboo cup or tube. - Kau Cim Sticks (Chinese: 簽, cim) are the flat sticks which are stored in the tube. Generally made of bamboo, they resemble wide, flat incense sticks, and are often painted red at one end. A single number, both in Arabic numeralsArabic numeralsArabic numerals or Hindu numerals or Hindu-Arabic numerals or Indo-Arabic numerals are the ten digits . They are descended from the Hindu-Arabic numeral system developed by Indian mathematicians, in which a sequence of digits such as "975" is read as a numeral...
and in Chinese characters, is inscribed on each stick. There are usually a total of 100 sticks in the cup, although the Chi Chi Sticks variation sold in the USA for fortune telling has only 78 sticks. Each stick has a different number on it, and no two are alike.
Practice
Once a single stick falls out, that stick will have a number on it that will correspond to a number, leading to a single piece of paper with an answer. The writing on the piece of paper will provide an answer to the question. To confirm the validity of the answer given by the deity, the querent will pick up and toss two jiaobei blocks
Jiaobei
Jiaobei blocks or moon blocks are wooden divination tools originating from China, which are used in pairs and thrown to answer a yes or no question. They are made out of wood or bamboo and carved into a crescent shape. Each block is round on one side and flat on the other...
(筊杯). Each block is round on one side and flat on the other. A successful answer requires one side flat and one side round to be shown when tossed, a failed answer will result in two round sides tossed. In some practices, much emphasis is placed on denial when both sides flat are tossed; some legends that say when this happens, the deities are laughing at the querent. The querent will have the option to ask for a fortune again until a successful answer can be made.
Following a successful fortune, interpretation may be needed to comprehend the answer. Answers can be interpreted by a temple priest or volunteers or can be interpreted by the querent. In many cases, an offering is made prior to the asking of the question in order to carry good favor from the higher powers. These offerings typically consist of incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
, fresh fruits, cakes, a roasted pig
Roasted pig
Siu yuk is a variety of siu mei, or roasted meat dishes, within Cantonese cuisine. It is made by roasting an entire pig with seasoning in a charcoal furnace at high temperature. Roasted pigs of high quality have crisp skin and juicy and tender meat...
or fowl, or monetary donations.
Alternative tools and practice
At places such as the Thean Hou TempleThean Hou Temple
The Thean Hou Temple is a landmark six-tiered Chinese temple in Kuala Lumpur. It is located on a 1.67 acres of land atop Robson Heights along Lorong Bellamy, overlooking Jalan Syed Putra . It was completed in 1987 and officially opened in 1989...
the handheld bucket is replaced with a larger container. On the inside at the bottom of the container are protrusions (such as the heads of fixing bolts). To consult the oracle, the querent holds the sticks in a vertical bundle, raises them a little inside the bucket and drops them while holding them loosely. Any stick that stands proud of the rest (because it is resting on a protrusion, not having bounced off) is considered part of the divined answer.
Interpretation
The stick result is analyzed by an interpreter, who has a book of Chinese poetic phrases and stories. The interpretation is generally short ranged, typically covering no more than one year, using Chinese New YearChinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
as the starting point. The interpreter typically charges a small fee. Often, interpreters provide other services such as palm or face reading.
Because the accuracy of the prediction very much depend on the interpreter, some people run the result through a number of different interpreters to see whether similar results are drawn. The interpreted answer is usually a historical Chinese story re-told in modern sense. The story is basically the forthcoming event the querent is about to experience.
Locale
In Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, by and large the most popular place for this fortune telling practice is the Wong Tai Sin Temple
Wong Tai Sin Temple
Wong Tai Sin Temple is one of the most famous shrines in Hong Kong. It is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The 18,000-m² Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim...
which draws thousands to millions of people each year.
Other cultures
In 1915 kau cim sticks were introduced to the United States under the name "Chi Chi sticks" by the Pacific Dry Goods Company of San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, where a large population of Chinese immigrants had settled. The sticks were made in China of bamboo but they were marked with Arabic numerals instead of Chinese characters, and were packaged in a bright yellow and red chipboard
Chipboard
Chipboard may refer to:* A type of paperboard generally made from reclaimed paper stock; the term generally used in the US** White lined chipboard, a grade of paperboard* Particle board, a type of engineered wood known as "chipboard" in some countries...
tube with a black lid (like a modern mailing tube). They were accompanied by a rolled-up book of rhyming interpretations that fit inside the tube with the sticks.
By the early 1920s, Chi Chi sticks were available all across America, from several importers and under a variety of trade names. They were heavily marketed to African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
fortune tellers through mail-order catalogues. They fell out of popularity during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but only due to problems with supply, as China had been invaded by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and trade routes were disrupted.
In the 1990s importations of kau cim sticks were again available in the USA, this time packaged in leather-covered tubes painted with ornate Chinese designs -- but still with the old rhyming Chi Chi stick booklet so well known to Americans. Meanwhile, vintage Chi Chi sticks of the 1915-1935 era -- if all their parts and the booklet are intact -- have become highly desirable collectibles among those who collect artifacts related to fortune telling.
The practice of using sticks in Chien Tung may be related to the game of pick-up sticks
Pick-up sticks
Pick-up sticks is a game of physical and mental skill. A bundle of 'sticks,' approximately 6-8 inches long, are held in a loose bunch and released on a table top, falling in random disarray. Each player, in turn, must remove a stick from the pile without disturbing the remaining ones...
played today. This theory is based on a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese variation, called Mikado
Mikado (game)
Mikado is a pick-up sticks game originating in Europe. In 1936 it was brought from Hungary to the USA and was mostly called pick-up sticks. This term is not very specific in respect to existing stick game variations. Probably the "Mikado" name was not used because it was a brand name of a game...
, which also has an emperor stick. A form of the game developed in the 16th century and may have been adapted from Chinese culture and religion.