bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Fran Lu

A twitching eye is thought to signal possible health problems in many parts of the world, but in China things are different.
An enduring expression leads Chinese people to have a different perspective on such ticks.
In China, as the old saying goes, “Left eye twitching means fortune, right eye twitching spells disaster.”
For example, in 2010, a woman from Taiwan won NT$389 million (US$12 million) in the lottery and she said her left eye had been twitching for three days before she scooped the prize.

The Post delves deeper into this curious system of beliefs.
Origins
In ancient Chinese mythology, Pangu, the creator of the universe, turns his left eye into the sun and right eye into the moon.
In line with folk beliefs, the left stands for yang, a symbol of light and activity, and the right yin, a mark of darkness and passivity.
It then developed into the theory that a twitching of left eye means good luck is on the way, while the same thing with the right signals bad luck.
Variations
In modern times, people attached meanings to eyelid twitching according to the day and time it happens.
If the left eye twitches on a Wednesday, it means good luck in romantic relationships. But if it happens to the other eye on the same day, it means you will lose your temper over something bad.
Good fortune or a gift is coming your way, however, if the right eye twitches on a Saturday.
To further complicate matters, the time of day the twitching takes place, can also decide whether you are in for a positive or negative experience.
Breaking the spell
To influence eye-twitching outcomes, some people place white paper over their right eye if it twitches.
This is because when the word “white” is paired with “twitch”, the result means “it twitched for nothing”, thereby neutralising the situation.
Others see science as a way out.

Appliance of science
Many hospitals in China post articles to warn that eye twitching could be a sign of health problems instead of luck.
Most commonly, eye twitching is an indicator of stress and exhaustion, resulting from overwork, staring at digital screens for too long and lack of sleep.
In some cases, it may signal diseases such as Parkinsons.


Artist Hung Fai brings both control and chaos to solo Hong Kong exhibition

Chinese toymaker Pop Mart targets wider audience with Playground magazine, grow IP

How Chor Yuen’s forgotten Hong Kong wuxia films mixed magic realism and complex heroes

From Labubu to blockbuster films, was 2025 the year China’s soft power went mainstream?

Chinese culture

Why Chinese superstition can predict future fortunes in the twitching of an eye

The Post finds out why, in China, a twitching eye can mean so much more than it does in other places. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Chinese folklore says timing and the position of a twitch is crucial to predicting future fortunes: Photo: Shutterstock

Not everyone buys into twitching fables, doctors say the phenomenon can be a health indicator. Photo: Shutterstock

Quirky Asia news: top China athlete in makeup fail, fishy hospital visit, spiky snacks

Quirky Asia news: the Post takes a look at some of the strange stories which have made headlines across Asia. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Weibo/TikTok

China athlete Wu Yanni’s post-race interview did not quite go according to plan. Photo: Ettoday

Fishy goings on in China as a sickly sea creature is admitted to hospital for treatment. Photo: Ettoday

Looks painful: an online influencer has live-streamed a new take on eating the pungent Asian delicacy, durian. Photo: TikTok

China youth playfully list jobs, colleagues for sale online to escape work pressures

Chinese youth humorously list their jobs and colleagues for sale on e-commerce platforms as a way to cope with work pressures. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock


A mainland lawyer cautioned that if the individual being “sold” has their personal details publicly exposed on online platforms without consent, it could be considered an invasion of privacy and potentially illegal. Photo: Douyin

Overwork, office conflicts, and difficult bosses and colleagues have driven some workers in China to the brink, leading them to consider “selling” as a form of stress relief or revenge. Photo: Shutterstock 

Thai Chinese cemetery shows movies for dead in eerie night of entertainment

A Chinese cemetery in Thailand has held movie screenings for the dead in a bid to pacify the spirits of those who have passed over to the afterlife. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Thaiger


Rows of empty chairs were carefully arranged at the venue in northeastern Thailand. Photo: X/Thaiger News 

Thailand’s Chinese community has great respect and reverence for its ancestors. Photo: Shutterstock 

China woman causes commotion by bringing pet sugar glider onto plane, leading to evacuation

A commotion ensued when a Chinese woman brought her pet sugar glider onto a plane, prompting the evacuation of passengers. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

A video depicted a flight attendant kneeling on the floor and leaning over to search beneath passengers’ seats. Photo: Weibo 

Guo’s actions sparked anger among the other passengers, leading to everyone having to disembark the aircraft and endure a one-hour delay. Photo: Weibo 

Top professor urges China youth to date more, says ‘hook-up’ culture cannot replace authentic love

A renowned academic in China has warned the country’s young adults that a growing tendency to embrace superficial relationships over real romance will not end well. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Young adults in China are shunning real romantic love for superficial relationships. Photo: Shutterstock

A respected academic says that only “meaningful relationships” can offer the support people need. Photo: Shutterstock 

News

People & Culture

A complex set of traditional Chinese beliefs has it that an eye twitch provides people with a window into their future fortunes


Chinese folklore contends that having a twitch in your eye, depending on which peeper is flickering and when, is a signal of whether a person is in for some good or bad fortune.


Trending in China

Health in China

Provide background, definition and detail of a specific topic, helping the reader understand how something works or what has happened in the past.  (Eg. What is Nafta? US and Mexico are on the verge of revising trade deal.)


Explainer

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}A complex set of traditional Chinese beliefs has it that an eye twitch provides people with a window into their future fortunes

Origins

A complex set of traditional Chinese beliefs has it that an eye twitch provides people with a window into their future fortunes