At least some spiritual development and what a terrible sanctions...

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The spiritual economy: young Chinese turn to fortune tellers as anxiety about the future rises

Growing popularity of mysticism can also be connected to increasing sense of cultural confidence as Chinese brands and products go global

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/01/china-fortune-tellers-young-people-mysticism

One As All is one of several fortune telling bars to have opened in Beijing, Shanghai and other Chinese cities in recent years. Hidden on the 12th floor of a commercial building, the bar serves a wide range of drinks starting at an auspicious 88 yuan (£9) (eight is considered to be lucky number in China). As well as enjoying a sundowner with a view over Beijing’s skyline, customers can consult the in-house fortune teller who specialises in qiuqian, known in English as Chinese lottery sticks, an ancient style of divination often found in Taoist temples. From a private side-room, the smell of incense burning in front of a genuine Taoist shrine wafts into the bar.

Qiuqian is one of several types of Chinese fortune telling to be enjoying a resurgence among young city-dwellers. While there is some interest in western-style divination such as tarot, it lacks the cultural resonance of Chinese traditions.

“Tarot comes from overseas, so I treat it with some suspicion,” says Ning Ning, 37. She prefers Taoist or Buddhist fortune telling.

Mysticism – a delicate place in Chinese society

Yaling Jiang, a consumer trends analyst, says the interest in Chinese-style fortune telling can be connected to a rising sense of cultural confidence. In recent months, several Chinese brands or products have gone global, from Labubus to DeepSeek. Ne Zha 2, an animated film based on ancient mythology, broke worldwide records for its takings in the Chinese box office “The young audience is starting to connect to traditional Chinese culture,” says Jiang.

But mysticism occupies a sensitive place in Chinese society. The Communist party is officially atheist and has repeatedly cracked down on what it describes as superstitious beliefs. Last year, state media reported that nearly 300 people had been “criminally dealt with” since 2018 for activities relating to spiritualism, with individuals sentenced to up to 17 years in prison. Still, many people maintain individual beliefs in Taoism, Buddhism and other types of spirituality, and praying to deities or ancestors for good luck and guidance is common.

Ma, the co-owner of One As All, says that he’s careful to stay on the right side of the “clear red line” of government controls. The bar doesn’t charge for qiuqian, and he also reminds customers not to be superstitious. “There’s big a difference between having a belief and being superstitious,” he says.

In China’s current economic predicament, more corporeal factors may create a space for fortune telling bars. Consumer confidence is at historic lows and the government is desperate to get people spending more, especially as the part of the economy that has traditionally propped up growth, exports, is under pressure from the US-China trade war. Any trend that gets people spending is likely to be welcomed by the authorities says Jiang. “If the final outcome is that it drives consumption, I don’t think it will cause any backlash”.