Why Chinese ‘ask rice’ divination ritual involves using 1,080 round grains

A mysterious and ancient tradition in China involves practitioners who try to predict the future and communicate with the spirit world via a ritual known as rice divination, or mun mai, in the south of the country. Its origins can be traced back to the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and a belief that all things in nature followed patterns and cycles, which are closely connected to human fortune and misfortune. The term “rice divination” comes from the main component used in the practice, 1,080...