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.
According to local residents, this act is known as “crossing the bridge”, a tradition in which families participate annually at noon, hoping also to dispel bad luck.
The old custom is not confined to this area.
In Cangzhou, Hebei province, northern China, a tradition known as “walking off a hundred illnesses” takes place the day after the festival.
Residents toss coins onto the roads as they walk along them in the hope it results in recovery from disease as well as to herald a year free from illness and calamity.
They believe that the further the coins roll signifies how far away it is before they succumb to ailments while collecting the coins signifies good fortune for the year ahead.
Hubei’s practice of throwing away 100-yuan banknotes has led to astonishment and sparked amusement online.
“Please post the location, I’ll arrive early for the next Lantern Festival to squat under the bridge and pick up money,” one person joked.
“As a local, I’ve never heard of this. Next year, I will collect the money,” said another.
“Will the people picking up the money suffer back pain in the coming year? Are those catching it below essentially taking the back pain with them?” a third person asked.
“The throwers are happy, the collectors are happy, but I’m unhappy because I’m not able to collect any,” said another.
