The "Fu" character at the main entrance must be affixed upright. This is because the "Fu" character on the door signifies "welcoming blessings" and "receiving fortune." As the main entrance is the gateway to the home—a solemn and respectful space emphasizing symmetry and squareness—the "Fu" character should be displayed with dignity and grace, hence it must be affixed upright.
"Fu" characters affixed upside down on water jars and trash binsThe word "upside down" (倒) sounds like "arrived" (到) in Chinese. Thus, pasting the "福" character upside down signifies that "good fortune has arrived." In folk tradition, this practice is primarily seen on water jars and trash cans. Since items are emptied from these containers, to avoid the taboo of "emptying out" the household's blessings, the homophone "to arrive" (到) is cleverly employed by pasting the character upside down.
Upside-down "Fu" characters on indoor cabinets
Cabinets store belongings, so affixing the "Fu" character upside down signifies that blessings and prosperity continuously flow into the home, the house, and the cabinets.The custom of pasting the "Fu" character during the New Year is a traditional Han Chinese practice, typically done one or two days before New Year's Eve. While the character now signifies "happiness," it historically referred to "good fortune" and "blessings." Pasting the "Fu" character during the Spring Festival, both in the past and present, embodies people's aspirations for a happy life and their wishes for a bright future.
Rules for Hanging Spring Couplets
Distinguishing Upper and Lower Couplets
Spring couplets consist of an upper and lower part, which must be correctly positioned. Following ancient custom, the upper couplet is placed higher up—to your right when facing the door—while the lower couplet goes lower, to your left.
Avoid Damage or Stains
Before hanging couplets, carefully inspect them for integrity. Damaged or stained couplets are believed to bring financial loss and hinder household prosperity. If a couplet is damaged or stained, it should be burned rather than reused or given away, as doing so may adversely affect future fortune.
Avoid tearing down yourself
When affixing couplets, secure them tightly to prevent detachment. Tearing down couplets prematurely is believed to disrupt financial fortune. Typically, they are left until the following year for removal and replacement, or new couplets are affixed directly over the previous year's.
Distinguishing upper and lower couplets
Identify them by the final character's tone (level or rising/falling).
Typically, the final character of the upper couplet ends with a rising tone, while the lower couplet ends with a level tone. This follows Mandarin tone classification: first and second tones are level, third and fourth tones are rising.
However, note that some ancient couplets were composed using "classical tones." Certain characters now pronounced level were rising tones in classical usage. Exercise caution when encountering couplets ending with such characters.