Bridge money tossing, luck-bringing China ritual makes annual Lantern Festival a hit on mainland social media
- People in central China collect cascading cash in fishing nets
- Age-old custom said to ward off back pain, dispel chance of calamity
The tradition in China of throwing money from a bridge during the Lantern Festival has captured widespread attention on mainland social media.
On February 24, during the traditional celebration, residents of Yichang, Hubei province in central China, were reported to be exuberantly flinging cash from the Yuxi Bridge, according to btime.com.
The spectacle included bundles of 100-yuan (US$14) banknotes cascading from the bridge, prompting people below to scramble for the falling money. Some even used fishing nets to catch the cash.
A video showed a young man taking money from his wallet to throw, while another reportedly tossed 700 yuan in a single gesture. The notes fluttered down, creating a shower of money.
The bridge was also crowded with people taking photos and videos.
A member of staff from the Yuxi town government said the practice is based on a local custom where people throw money in the belief it might secure a year without back pain.