There are few traditions in the world where you are not only allowed but encouraged to make a glorious mess of your food, and to shout while doing it. The Lunar New Year ritual of “Lo Hei” is one of them. With chopsticks raised high and a chorus of well-wishes filling the room, families and friends toss a colourful platter of shredded vegetables, raw fish, and crunchy garnishes as high as they dare, scattering good fortune across the table for the year ahead.
For anyone drawn to feng shui, Lo Hei is a delight. It is a living, edible example of the core feng shui principle that intention and symbolism shape the energy we invite into our lives. Every ingredient carries meaning. Every action is matched to an auspicious phrase. The higher the toss, the greater the prosperity. It is feng shui you can eat.
What Is Yu Sheng and Lo Hei?
“Yu Sheng” (鱼生) refers to the dish itself: a vibrant raw-fish salad made with finely shredded vegetables, fresh fish, and an array of symbolic toppings. “Lo Hei” (捞起) is the Cantonese phrase for the act of tossing it together. Translated literally, Lo Hei means to “scoop up,” but its deeper meaning is to rise up and attain prosperity, a wish to lift one’s fortunes higher with the new year.
This is a tradition with strong regional roots. Tossing Yu Sheng is a Chinese New Year custom especially beloved in Singapore and Malaysia, where it has become one of the most recognisable festive rituals of the season. It is traditionally served on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, a day known as “Ren Ri” (人日), which means “People’s Day”, affectionately described as everyone’s shared birthday. There could be no more fitting day to gather around a dish that celebrates collective good fortune.
A Dish That Evolved With the Times
Like all good traditions, Yu Sheng has grown more lavish over the generations. In earlier days, the raw fish of choice was fresh ikan parang (wolf herring) and mackerel, humble, accessible, and local. As the dish became a centrepiece of festive celebration, the fish grew more luxurious. Today it is common to see smoked salmon taking the starring role, with lobster and even abalone gracing the grandest tables.
What has never changed is the symbolism woven through every component. In feng shui terms, the platter is a carefully composed map of the blessings you most want for the coming year.
The Symbolism on the Plate
This is where Lo Hei speaks directly to the feng shui heart. Each ingredient is chosen not only for flavour and colour but for the auspicious meaning it carries:
- Fish symbolises abundance. In Mandarin, the word for fish (鱼, yú) sounds the same as the word for surplus, giving rise to the beloved wish “year after year, may there be abundance.”
- Peanuts represent longevity. Sometimes called the “longevity fruit,” they carry a wish for eternal youth and a long, vital life.
- Pomelo symbolises good luck and the arrival of good fortune.
- The golden oil and golden crackers evoke wealth flowing into the household and gold filling the home.
A typical “prosperity” Yu Sheng platter brings together a generous spread of these symbolic ingredients: smoked salmon, julienned carrot, shredded green and white radish, pickled ginger, melon, mango, silver onion, pulps of pomelo, Chinese parsley, lime, sesame seeds, crackers, and a dressing of fine salt, pepper, cinnamon, oil, and fruity plum sauce. Each colour and texture has its place, layered together into a small mountain of good wishes waiting to be tossed.
The Ritual: A Step-by-Step Guide to Tossing Yu Sheng
The magic of Lo Hei lies in pairing each action with the right auspicious phrase, spoken aloud as the ingredient is added. The ritual builds, phrase by phrase, into the joyful chaos of the final toss. Here is how it unfolds:
1. Placing the platter on the table – As the Yu Sheng is set down, greet it with prosperity: Gong Xi Fa Cai (恭喜发财) — “Greetings of Prosperity” Wan Shi Ru Yi (万事如意) – “May All Your Wishes Be Fulfilled”
2. Adding the smoked salmon – As the fish goes in, wish for abundance and vitality: Nian Nian You Yu (年年有余) — “Year of Abundance” Long Ma Jing Shen (龙马精神) – “To Enjoy Great Health”
3. Squeezing in the lime juice – A splash of citrus for fortune: Da Ji Da Li (大吉大利) – “For Good Luck”
4. Sprinkling the pepper and five-spice powder – For thriving ventures: Yi Ben Wan Li (一本万利) – “For Flourishing Business”
5. Drizzling the golden oil and fruity plum sauce – For business that blossoms: You Shui Duo Duo (油水多多) – “Blossoming Business”
6. Scattering the golden chopped peanuts and sesame seeds – For a home rich with treasure: Jin Yin Man Wu (金银满屋) — “Endless Gold and Silver in the Household” Sheng Yi Xing Long (生意兴隆) – “Enjoy Roaring Business”
7. Adding the thin golden crackers — As the “gold” is scattered over the dish: Man Di Huang Jin (满地黄金) — “For Abundant Wealth”
8. The toss! – Now the moment everyone has been waiting for. Chopsticks at the ready, everyone digs in and lifts the ingredients as high as they can, calling out: Lo Hei! Lo Hei! (捞起！捞起！), and the timeless rallying cry, “This year, let’s toss up a roaring good fortune!” (今年捞个风生水起)
The golden rule of the toss is simple: the higher the better. A high, exuberant toss is believed to invite an equally high measure of luck and prosperity. Don’t be shy, let the ingredients fly.
Bringing the Spirit of Lo Hei Into Your Home
What makes Lo Hei so resonant for feng shui enthusiasts is that it transforms an ordinary meal into an act of conscious intention. You are not simply eating, you are voicing your hopes, surrounding yourself with auspicious symbols, and performing a shared ritual that aligns the energy of everyone at the table toward abundance, health, and luck.
You don’t need a banquet hall or a master chef to take part. Gather your loved ones, prepare or order a Yu Sheng platter, learn a few of the phrases, and toss together. The laughter, the mess, and the collective wish for a brighter year are the whole point.
