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Lisa Cam

From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series.
If your Chinese zodiac predicts a rough year ahead, fret not – feng shui is here to help.
The ancient practice also known as Chinese geomancy is said to help balance the energies of people and their environment. Some people consult it to mitigate bad luck and improve their prospects for health, wealth or love.
With origins in ancient Chinese philosophy and Taoism, feng shui is a holistic approach to living in harmony with the natural world.

This traditional practice seeks to optimise the flow of energy, or qi, by considering the placement of furniture, colours and other items, and even the state of the surrounding landscape.
Imagine a home that is peaceful and energising, one in which you feel more relaxed and productive. Feng shui principles are said to help you achieve this by creating a space that supports your overall well-being.
Feng shui master Andrew Kwan shares tips on the best cardinal points in a living space to place lucky elements, colours or symbols that might boost luck or ward off bad energy in the Year of the Snake depending on your Chinese zodiac sign.

In the second instalment in this series, he focuses on people born in the Year of the Horse.
Horse (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014)
Career and finances will be quite stable for Horses this year. However, they will not have any speculative luck so it is best not to take financial risks such as in investing or gambling.
Horses will be popular in the Year of the Snake, with female Horses likely to find their potential soulmate. There is also a chance for fleeting relationships, so it will be a good idea for Horses to give it time before committing to anyone. Kwan suggests Horses handle all interpersonal relationships with care.
This popularity will also mean a lot of socialising, so Horses will need to pay attention to their health and watch out for gastrointestinal problems.




This year, the wealth position is due west and due east for Horses, which means they should place golden ingot decorations, decorative items with flowing water, or a fish tank or bowl in the west and east of their living space.
Love is in the east this year, so Horses can decorate that area with cherry blossoms, red roses or purple orchids.
The health and general fortune position is due south, so Horses can place brown furnishings or yellow crystals in the south of their living space to boost their luck.
Look out for feng shui tips for those born in the Year of the Sheep tomorrow


Feng shui tips for Sheep in the Year of the Snake for luck in love, health and wealth

How sticky rice cakes became a Lunar New Year lucky dish and different ways they are eaten

Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force movie review – Chinese fantasy continues to enthral

Born in the Year of the Horse? Here’s everything you need to know in 2025

Chinese culture

Feng shui tips for Horses in the Year of the Snake for luck in love, wealth and health

Horses can improve their luck using feng shui in the Year of the Snake. Photo: Shutterstock

For Horses in the Year of the Snake, the position of love is east while health is south. A feng shui master shares how to act on this for good luck. Photo: Shutterstock

Feng shui has been used for centuries to improve the flow of energy, or qi, for good fortune and to ward off bad energy. Photo: Shutterstock 

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan shares how to promote good fortune through the thoughtful placement of lucky elements in your living space. Photo: Andrew Kwan

What are ‘enemy signs’ in the Chinese zodiac? Snakes have 3; how to find success with them

Tigers are one of the Snake’s three “enemy signs” in the Chinese zodiac. The Snake and Tiger can be a challenging combination in both love and business, with relationships often full of conflict. Photo: Shutterstock

The Year of the Snake 2025 is not predicted to be a good one for Snakes, according to Chinese geomancy, who will experience unstable luck and relationship challenges. Photo: Shutterstock

Monkeys have a difficult time cooperating with Snakes in professional settings. Photo: Shutterstock

The relationship between Snakes and Pigs is considered one of the most challenging in the Chinese zodiac. Photo: Shutterstock

In Year of the Snake 2025, is bad luck predicted for you? 5 ways to change your fortunes

Every year in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, some zodiac signs clash with the guardian deity, bringing bad luck to people born under those signs. But there are things they can do to improve their luck. Photo: Getty Images

Chinese people like to learn their future by visiting a fortune-teller. If bad luck awaits some in the Year of the Snake, there are steps they can take to improve their prospects. Photo: Shutterstock

Performing a ritual at a temple that grants you a protective talisman is one way to mitigate bad luck resulting from a clash between your zodiac sign and the guardian deity. Photo: Shutterstock

Women’s red underwear. Wearing red undergarments is believed to improve luck. Photo: Getty Images

Wearing an amulet of another zodiac sign can ward off bad luck. In the Year of the Snake, a rooster amulet will help those born in the Year of the Snake. Photo: Shutterstock

Why there are fewer babies born in the Year of the Snake, and what it means

A family where the lucky colour red for Lunar New Year. Fewer babies are born in the Year of the Snake, with many parents believing they will be unlucky. Photo: Shutterstock

A lighting installation at Beijing’s Wenyuhe Park to welcome the coming Year of the Snake. Photo: AFP

A serpent-shaped light installation in Nanjing, Jiangsu, eastern China to mark the Year of the Snake. Photo: AFP

Why the Year of the Wood Snake starting in 2025 could bring major change, and more luck

A snake at a farm in Bangkok, Thailand. The next lunar new year will be a Year of the Wood Snake, which comes around every 60 years. The previous one, in 1965, saw dynamic change and upheaval. Are we in for more of the same? Photo: Getty Images

Snakes made of palm leaves are displayed in Shanghai to celebrate the previous Year of the Snake in 2013. Photo: Getty Images

Following the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, people line up to vote, most for the first time, in Alabama in the US in 1966. Photo: Getty Images

Angry depositors protest and clash with police outside the office of the chairman of the Canton Trust and Commercial Bank in 1965, the previous Year of the Wood Snake in the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Photo: Chan Kiu

Lifestyle

Chinese Zodiac

Year of the Snake 2025: predictions, facts, myths and feng shui

Year of the Snake 2025 predictions for 12 zodiac signs. How is your health, luck, wealth?

Feng shui master Tong Pik-ha predicts the varying fortunes of people born under the 12 Chinese zodiac signs in the coming Year of the Snake. Illustrations: Victor Sanjinez

For Sheep in the Year of the Snake, the wealth position is north and northwest. A feng shui master explains how to act on this for good luck. Photo: Shutterstock

People have been adhering to feng shui principles for centuries to improve their luck in health, love and wealth. Photo: Shutterstock 

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan. Photo: Andrew Kwan

The wealth position is in the north this year for Sheep, which means placing a fish bowl or tank in the north of their living space can bring good luck. Photo: Shutterstock 

Cantonese-style sticky rice cake, or “nin gou”, is usually made with glutinous rice flour, Chinese brown sugar and coconut milk. Photo: The Peninsula Hong Kong

Nian gao – Chinese sticky rice cakes – are made to appease the Kitchen God, or zao jun, who reports the activities of every household over the past year to Yu Huang, the Jade Emperor. Photo: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Nian gao, called nin gou in Cantonese (above), are sticky rice cakes eaten at Lunar New Year. Photo: Shutterstock

Lam Yuk-ming is the Chinese cuisine executive chef at Spring Moon, The Peninsula Hong Kong’s Cantonese restaurant. Photo: The Peninsula Hong Kong

Tteokguk is a Korean Lunar New Year dish or thinly sliced rice cakes cooked in clear soybean soup. Photo: Shutterstock

Kagami mochi is eaten during Japanese New Year celebrations. Photo: Shutterstock

Feng shui tips in the Year of the Snake for Snakes, for health, wealth, luck and love

For Snakes in the Year of the Snake, the wealth position is west, the love position is south, and the position for health and general luck enhancement is southwest, according to feng shui. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong cheongsam maker gives the Chinese dress a modern makeover with her funky brand

Cheongsam maker Chocolate Tsang poses in one of her creations at her studio, Stand Tall D, in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong. Photo: Edmond So

Tsang works in her studio. Photo: Edmond So

Women wear cheongsam in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, in the 1960s. Photo: Information Services Department

Tsang takes 20 body measurements to make her cheongsam. Photo: Edmond So

 Tsang with cheongsam master tailor Yan Ka-man. Photo: Chocolate Tsang

Maggie Cheung wore 20 different cheongsam in the film In The Mood for Love (2000). Photo: Block 2 Pictures

Tsang’s favourite cheongsam is this navy lace piece that she handcrafted under the guidance of Yan. Photo: Chocolate Tsang

Tsang founded her made-to-measure brand in 2018. Photo: Edmond So

How ‘snake’ entered the English language and what Singaporeans mean by ‘eat snake’

The root words of the English snake and serpent mean “a creeping thing”, and most sayings that incorporate snake have a negative meaning, including the Singapore English “eat snake”. Photo: Shutterstock

The Slytherin logo is seen on cups in the store of a touring Harry exhibition in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Getty Images

A 16th century Flemish engraving depicts men setting fire to undergrowth in which snakes are trapped. Photo: Getty Images

A banded krait, a snake native to Hong Kong. The name krait is borrowed from Hindi. Photo: Shutterstock

Year of the Snake 2025 predictions for Rats, from lucky colour to health and wealth

In the coming Year of the Snake, white is the lucky colour for people born in Year of the Rat. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

In 2025’s Year of the Snake, people born in a Year of the Rat can expect good health but risks to their wealth. What else awaits them according to Chinese geomancy? Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

White is the lucky colour for Rats in 2025’s Year of the Snake, as seen in this White jumpsuit by Galvan, availabel from Net-a-Porter. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung/Jonathan Vit

Those born under the sign of the Rat have strong luck in love. Photo: Shutterstock

It is time to start focusing on well-being and dropping bad lifestyle habits. Photo: Shutterstock

How Hong Kong Lunar New Year lai see red packet designs blend tradition and innovation

Lai see envelopes created by Hong Kong design studio The Cabinet. Its founder explains how it balances tradition and modernity in its designs for them. Photo: Kylie Knott

Malou Ko is the founder of Hong Kong design studio The Cabinet, which has created lai see envelopes for corporate clients. Photo: Kylie Knott

The Cabinet designed red packets in 2020 for the Sheraton hotel chain that included the brand’s logo. Brand alignment is important, says The Cabinet’s founder Malou Ko. Photo: The Cabinet

A lai see packet created by Hong Kong design studio The Cabinet that was inspired by the boxes containing oranges that are sold in supermarkets at Lunar New Year. Photo: The Cabinet

The Cabinet designed lai see packets in 2023 for Hong Kong lifestyle brand Yuu including a scratch-off section that revealed a discount code for various retailers in the city. Photo: The Cabinet

An evergreen lai see packet with lanterns from The Lion Rock Press can be used every year. Photo: The Lion Rock Press

Why Chinese give red packets at Lunar New Year and the rise of digital versions

The red colour of lai see symbolises good luck and prosperity, and the amount of money inside usually ends in an even number, which is considered more auspicious. Photo: Shutterstock

Sending digital red packets is becoming more popular in China. Photo: Shutterstock

WeChat was the first company to launch a digital red packet function. Photo: WeChat 

Many people still prefer to send paper red packets rather than digital ones because of the cultural significance. Photo: Shutterstock

Food mistakes to avoid over Lunar New Year holiday, from eating congee to chopping chicken

People in Chengdu, southwest China, enjoy a Lunar New Year feast. There are auspicious foods to eat during the festival, and others you should avoid if you want good fortune in the new lunar year. Photo: Getty Images

Congee’s association with thriftiness and poverty makes it an inauspicious food to eat during Chinese new year celebrations. Photo: Shutterstock

According to Buddhist principles, diners should avoid eating meat on the first and 15th days of the Lunar New Year holiday, so the barbecued pork this woman is eating with a bowl of noodles would be a no-no. Photo: Shutterstock

Do not chop meat on Lunar New Year’s day. According to Chinese tradition, using sharp objects then symbolises cutting the thread of good luck for the year ahead. Photo: Shutterstock

A plump whole fish is a common sight on dining tables over Lunar New Year. Tradition-minded diners will leave the head and tail untouched so they will always have enough to eat in the coming lunar year. Photo: Shutterstock

Whether you use a bucket or other receptacle to store rice, make sure it is full to the brim at Lunar New Year. Photo: Shutterstock

Why Tigers should take precautions in Year of the Snake with conflict in the stars

A tiger bestrides Shanghai’s Yuuan Garden during the Lantern Festival in 2022. Tigers in the Year of the Snake face strife on the health and home fronts, but can take steps to mitigate their bad luck. Photo: Shutterstock

Tigers are in conflict with the guardian deity in the Year of the Snake, affecting their health and home life especially. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

The conflict with the guardian deity will negatively affect Tigers’ relationships at work this year. Photo: Shutterstock

Single Tigers will unlucky in love in the Year of the Snake because of their clash with the guardian deity. Photo: Shutterstock

Year of the Snake predictions for Pigs, from love and health to career and wealth

Pigs oppose the ‘tai sui’ (guardian deity) this year and may face bad luck, but there are ways to improve your prospects. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Travel should be in the plans of Pigs in 2025’s Year of the Snake, to avoid the effects of some inauspicious stars according to Chinese geomancy. Illustration; Victor Sanjinez

Pink is the lucky colour for Pigs in 2025’s Year of the Snake, as seen in this dress by Zimmermann, available from Net-a-Porter. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung/Jonathan Vit

Married couples may be prone to constant arguments with each other, and should start or expand their family. Photo: Shutterstock

Pigs should engage in some light renovation or replace old furniture to refresh the energy at home. Photo: Shutterstock

Why Year of the Snake is cursed for Snakes, and how to appease deities to avoid bad luck

The Year of the Snake is bad for Snakes. Photo: Getty Images

Wearing red during the year of the Chinese zodiac sign you were born under is one of the ways to prevent bad luck. Photo: Shutterstock

A guardian deity inside of a Chinese temple. According to Chinese geomancy, those born in the Year of the Snake may face misfortune this coming year. Photo: Getty Images

Some set up a shrine at home dedicated to the tai sui to ask for forgiveness and protection against bad luck. Photo: Shutterstock

Naga, the King of Serpents, is widely worshipped, especially in Southeast Asia. He represents both good and evil. Photo: Getty Images

Wearing jade jewellery can be another way to prevent misfortune during your ben ming nian, as the stone is believed to bring longevity, and have mystical powers. Photo: Shutterstock

Positioning is key when reorganising your home to bring good fortune. It pays to consult a feng shui expert before doing so. Photo: Shutterstock

Year of the Snake 2025 predictions for Dogs, from lucky colour to money and romance

The Year of the Snake will bring good luck for Dogs. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

In 2025’s Year of the Snake, Dogs can expect good financial and romantic luck according to Chinese geomancy. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez 

The lucky colour for Dogs in 2025’s Year of the Snake is green, as seen in this dress by Faithfull, available from Net-a-Porter. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung/Jonathan Vit

Why do people born in the Year of the Snake make good lovers, friends and colleagues?

People born in the Year of the Snake are caring friends – once you break the ice. They are also romantic lovers and also one of the best colleagues to have in a crisis. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Feng shui master Tong Pik-ha at her office in San Po Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The independent Snake is very good at networking, Tong says. Photo: Jonathan Wong

People who are born in the Year of the Snake are very enterprising. Illustration: Adolfo Arranz

Year of the Snake 2025 predictions for Monkeys, from lucky colour to a big career boost

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

In 2025’s Year of the Snake, Monkeys can expect career advancements, according to Chinese geomancy, but trouble on some fronts. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

The Monkey’s lucky colour for 2025’s Year of the Snake is red, as seen in this Solace London dress available from Net-a-Porter. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung/Jonathan Vit

Those born in the Year of the Monkey will enjoy a lot of career development this year. Photo: Shutterstock

This year, married Monkeys will be affected by a menacing star that will leave them prone to emotional changes. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Year of the Snake 2025 predictions for Sheep, unlucky in love but money prospects good

Things will go well for Sheep who are married or in a stable relationship in the Year of the Snake. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

How lucky will Sheep be in 2025’s Year of the Snake? Find out. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

The lucky colour for Sheep in the Year of the Snake is khaki, as seen in this dress by Isabel Marant available from Net-a-Porter. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung/Jonathan Vit

Sheep will need to be prepared if they are thinking about switching careers, changing jobs or starting a business. Photo: Shutterstock

Things will go well for Sheep who are married or in a stable relationship. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

10 snake-themed Chinese-language movies that charm us, from erotica to horror to animation

A still from Anaconda (2024), one of our picks of the best Chinese snake movies.

A still from White Snake (2019), one of 10 Chinese-language films featuring snakes that we think make perfect viewing with the Year of the Snake coming.

A promotional poster for The Snake Girl (1974).

A promotional poster for Snake Beauty (1994).

Year of the Snake 2025 predictions for Roosters, from lucky colour to lots of wealth, love

According to Chinese geomancy, Roosters can expect easy money in 2025’s Year of the Snake. Find out what is in store for them on the health, wealth and romance fronts. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Roosters’ lucky colour for 2025’s Year of Snake is purple, as seen in this Solace London dress from Net-a-Porter. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung/Jonathan Vit

With the help of the tai sui, this will be a healthy year for Roosters. Photo: Shutterstock

7 snake idioms to ring in the Year of the Snake, including one about being two-faced

Why would legs drawn on a snake mean something is ruined? What does a bow’s shadow have to do with reptiles? Seven snake idioms and their meanings. Photo: Shutterstock

Feng shui tips for Horses in the Year of the Snake for luck in love, wealth and health

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan shares where to put lucky decorations, colours and more in your living space to ward off bad energy this year