New Year’s Day of the lunar calendar in 2021 was on February 12.
By the way, is there a Chinatown in your city?
There has often been covered with “Red”.
And there is the Chinese character “福（Fu)” that turned upside down in this period, too.
Have you ever seen it?
The word calls Fu by Chinese turned upside down, don’t you think it’s so strange?
The origin of it is as follows.
福到了 means “Fortune is coming”, 福倒了 means “Fortune turns upside down”.
And both has quite same pronunciation.
So the character of “福 (Fu)” that turned upside down just represents “Fortune is coming”.
Therefore it is made into a lucky charm.
Perhaps, it may make you feel that “fortune turns upside down, so doesn’t fortune escape?”
No problem, it’s safe because the idea is to visit by turning it upside down at the first.
By Chinese, it is called “倒福(Daofu)”.
Thinking of Barnett Newman’s “Broken Obelisk” while seeing it.
Why?
Both is ” to give meaning by putting them upside down“.
Located at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, this work contrasts an obelisk made by the ancient Egyptian pharaoh with the apex of the pyramid, that is also a symbol of the pharaoh.
This creates a structure in which authorities oppose each other.
But you don’t have to know that.
It’s obvious that something is jut “upside down”.
In that sense, both “Daofu” and “Broken Obelisk” are like brothers.
When turned upside down, the same thing looks totally different:
Daofu calls for good fortune, and Broken Obelisk challenges authority.
Sometimes the idea of ”upside down” will surely bring us a good “something”.
It gives a refreshment or an inspiration for you?
Or you may try to do a handstand yourself. （Joking）
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