Sporting chance

In the eyes of Zhang Hanqing, a former college basketball player, luck is as vital on the court as off it.

Years ago, when Zhang played for his university basketball team, he and his team would follow some "superstitious rules" before each game despite firmly believing that actions and efforts determine final outcomes.

Zhang reminisced about their coach's pregame tradition of giving each player a fried dough stick. Based on past experiences, the coach believed that with such dough in their stomachs, the players would perform at their best and secure victory.

A few months ago, Zhang developed an interest in Chinese fortune-telling after reading the I Ching, an ancient Chinese divination manual dating back 3,000 years.

"I've always had a longing and respect for classical Chinese culture. Last year, when I encountered some challenges in my career, I turned to Chinese fortunetelling to solve my confusion," the 26-year-old, who works at a state-owned company, said.

There are various methods of fortunetelling, and Zhang is exploring liuyao (literally meaning six convergences), a method that involves predicting outcomes by rolling three copper coins six times while factoring in celestial stems and terrestrial branches.

"Now, there are even mobile phone apps that can simulate the coin rolling and interpretation processes," he said.

Zhang finds divination to be a helpful tool in decision-making during dilemmas. Recently, he received invitations to two basketball matches at the same time: one from his hometown team in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, and the other from his company in Nanchang, Jiangxi province.

Feeling torn between the two, he turned to traditional fortune-telling for guidance. The results hinted at sincerity as the key. He followed the advice and felt relieved after telling his hometown team that he would try to return in time but would prioritize attending the company's match first.

Zhang also offers free fortune consultancies to his friends. Most of the individuals seeking his guidance are girls, who ask questions like, "Would it be better for me to find a job and settle in another city rather than my hometown?" and "Will my relationship with my crush work out?".

"It's a way to assist my friends emotionally and provide advice from different perspectives," he said.

But the amateur fortune-teller learned a harsh lesson when a prediction went awry. One time, a friend asked him to predict if she would get back together with her ex-boyfriend. Zhang gave an affirmative answer.

Later, he found out that the couple broke up again because the boyfriend had cheated. Zhang felt bad for giving the wrong advice and potentially influencing their decision. This made him realize the importance of giving guidance without impacting others' actions.

Learning fortune-telling has helped Zhang adopt a more objective and dialectical approach to situations. "Acquiring the basics of Chinese fortune-telling has taught me to assess situations from different perspectives, be cautious and deliberate before making decisions, as every choice has consequences," he said.

"Remember, fortune-telling is just a guide; the real magic lies in taking charge of your destiny."