Coins as votive offering

Small Japanese yen coins at the receiving point

Money in glass display cabinet of hall model at the Daming Palace National Heritage Park.

Money in Glass Display Cabinet of Stone Statue at Qin Er Shi Mausoleum

A tree root with a large amount of coins stuffed inside the Dazhao Temple in Hohhot

In many cultures, coins as used as votive offerings, usually through the act of throwing of coins at specific things such as rivers, lakes, ponds, wells, fountains, statues, bells, vehicles, and other objects to pray for blessings, avert disasters, and make wishes.

The coin offering is sometimes accompanied by a throwing game, such as aiming the coin to hit a specific target like a censer, a bell, or a designated spot, such as inside the incense burner or through the eyes of a statue.

China

The influence of religious beliefs

In the Tang Dynasty text "Chao Ye Qian Zai," it is recorded that "In the regions of Bingzhou and Shouyang, there is a Jealous Maiden Spring with a temple dedicated to a deity. The water of the spring is crystal clear to a depth of a thousand feet. Worshippers throw in coins and sheep bones, which can be seen clearly in the water."

At the beginning of the late Qing Dynasty, some religious sites began to set up coin games to entertain tourists. During this time, the opera artist Wu Mei visited White Cloud Temple and saw the clock hanging under the temple's gate bridge. Tourists would throw money at the clock, and hitting it was considered "great luck." Published in 1935, the Antiquities of the Ancient Capital specifically mentioned that the White Cloud Temple Coin Bureau did not have steps for people to go downstairs to collect the money. On the nineteenth day of the first lunar month alone, during the ten-day temple fair, visitors could throw tens of thousands of coins.

Influenced by the practices at White Cloud Temple, other temples around Beijing have also begun to set up games to raise money from tourists and pilgrims. With the development of tourism, these games have spread to religious sites across mainland China. Many attractions, such as Jade Emperor Peak, have dedicated staff to help visitors easily exchange coins.

All animals considered spiritual and historical sites with beautiful moral meanings are being inundated with large amounts of coins, increasing the burden on attraction staff and damaging both the scenery and the animal environment.

Western cultural influences

With the introduction of European and American culture to China, European wishing wells have become well-known to the Chinese public.

The classic American romantic film 'Roman Holiday,' translated and released by Changchun Film Studio in mainland China in 1986, sparked a craze for movie-watching. Not only did the heroine's hairstyle and costume become fashionable at the time, but the scene of tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain to make a wish became a timeless symbol of love and romance for a generation. As a result, some attractions renamed or created new 'Wish Pools,' such as the one in Jade Emperor's Hall on Zunyi Jinding Mountain, the release pool at Locust tree of Hongtong, and the release pool at Suzhou Shuiyue Temple.

The popularity of Western wish pool culture has also had another impact: many tourists actively deposit coins into any water storage areas within scenic spots. Apart from specially designed wish pools, fountains, water tanks, and fish ponds have also become targets for coin throwing. Tourists not only place coins in Buddhist temples, Taoist temples, and other religious places to seek blessings, but also in places unsuitable for such practices, such as the pond in the Peace Park on the west side of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, the glass curtain wall surrounding the Leifeng Pagoda site, the area around the dinosaurized stone skeleton at the National Natural History Museum of China, sarcophagi at the Luoyang Museum, and the display cabinets of the Terra Cotta Warriors at the Shaanxi History Museum. Potholes, caves, and glass covers within scenic areas are also used for coin placement.

Coins of the Copper Mine Model in Tonglushan, Hubei Provincial Museum

Negative effects

The change in front of the bronze statue of Emperor Yongle Zhu Di at the Ling'en Palace, Ming Dynasty

In January 2016, according to a report by West China City Daily, a Three Gorges hanging coffin in the exhibition hall of Wushan Museum in Chongqing was filled with Renminbi dropped by tourists. The remains of ancient people inside the coffin were completely obscured by the coins and could not be seen clearly.

During the Spring Festival in January 2017, the Yangtze crocodile pool and the crocodile turtle exhibition pool at Shanghai Zoo were filled with hundreds of coins by some visitors. According to reports, some tourists threw coins to pray for the longevity of the animals, while others attempted to wake the less active animals in winter and test their reactions with coins.

In March 5, 2017, a 20-year-old turtle died from suffocation after ingesting coins thrown by tourists at Hunan Martyr's Park, Changsha City.

Insert coin into airplane engine

On June 27, 2017, a China Southern Airlines flight from Shanghai Pudong Airport to Guangzhou was delayed when an elderly woman in her eighties was discovered tossing coins into the aircraft's engine for good luck during boarding. This incident garnered significant social attention after being reported. Media figure Xi Po published a commentary titled "Tossing Coins into Airplane Engines for Good Luck: Bad Habits Are Just That" in the Beijing News, likening this act to the medieval Catholic Church's sale of indulgences and emphasizing that such behavior fundamentally violates order or rules and constitutes a bad habit.

On July 27, 2017, during a Shenzhen Airlines flight from Nanning with a stopover in Wuhan en route to Shenyang, a man stood on the boarding stairs and threw coins towards the direction of the aircraft engine. Subsequently, the flight was canceled for aircraft inspection. The individual, Li, directly caused the need for aircraft maintenance, passenger delays, and flight cancellation, resulting in an economic loss totaling over 70,000 yuan. In September of the same year, Shenzhen Airlines sued Li in the Huangpi District People's Court of Wuhan, seeking full compensation for the economic loss exceeding 70,000 yuan. In the first instance, the court ruled in favor of the airline's claim and ordered Li to pay over 70,000 yuan in compensation. Li then appealed, arguing that the airline's calculation of economic losses lacked supporting evidence and that he should bear only partial responsibility. The Wuhan Intermediate People's Court issued a second-instance judgment, and the parties reached a settlement, with Li agreeing to compensate the airline with over 50,000 yuan. Subsequently, Li made the payment and also covered the court fees for both the first and second instances, totaling 1,510 yuan.

On October 18, 2017, during Lucky Air flight 8L9960 from Anqing to Kunming, a passenger at Anqing Airport threw an object towards the aircraft's engine. Airport maintenance staff promptly intervened upon discovery and thoroughly inspected the aircraft, finding a coin near the engine. Law enforcement authorities subsequently detained and investigated the involved passenger. To ensure flight safety, Lucky Air canceled the flight for the day and conducted a comprehensive engine inspection. On February 17, 2019, during Lucky Air flight 8L9960 from Anqing to Kunming, personnel conducting a pre-flight check discovered two coins near the left engine. Following inquiries made over the intercom by the flight crew, a 28-year-old male passenger admitted to throwing coins for luck. This incident resulted in direct economic losses exceeding 140,000 yuan for Lucky Air. On March 10, Lucky Air flight 8L9616 from Jinan to Chengdu encountered a similar incident. During boarding at Jinan, flight attendants observed two female passengers tossing coins outside the jet bridge. The passengers involved were promptly handed over to airport security, resulting in a two-hour flight delay.

On April 2, 2019, at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, a man, acting on his mother-in-law's advice, threw three coins into the aircraft's engine for 'good luck,' causing a 30-minute flight delay affecting hundreds of passengers. The man was subsequently detained for 10 days as an administrative penalty.

On April 16, 2019, aboard Tianjin Airlines flight GS6681 from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, to Chifeng, a 66-year-old passenger threw six coins towards the aircraft engine for good luck at the boarding gate. Subsequently, the passenger was given a 10-day administrative detention as punishment.

On April 20, 2019, China Southern Airlines flight CZ8427 from Nanning to Bangkok was delayed because a passenger threw coins at the aircraft for good luck. The passenger, claiming to be a first-time flyer, tossed six coins toward the aircraft's nose at the door-bridge junction. All coins were recovered, but the flight was delayed by 78 minutes for inspection. The passenger was subsequently detained by public security authorities in accordance with the law.

On June 4, 2019, a warning sign at Sanya Phoenix Airport stating "Warning: Throwing coins at airplanes for good luck is an illegal act that jeopardizes safety and blessings" sparked renewed social discussion after circulating online.

On October 29, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., during boarding for China Southern Airlines flight CZ3121 from Guangzhou Baiyun to Beijing Daxing, maintenance staff discovered a passenger throwing coins towards the aircraft. Immediate safety checks were conducted, and two coins were found near the aircraft's underbelly. Subsequently, China Southern Airlines conducted a comprehensive inspection, resulting in the flight being delayed. The passenger involved was taken away by airport security for further investigation.

On March 6, 2024, China Southern Airlines flight CZ8805 from Sanya to Beijing was delayed by 4 hours because a passenger threw coins into the aircraft. The individual involved was taken away by airport security for investigation.

Remedial measures

Attitudes towards tourists' coin tossing behavior vary among different non-religious scenic spots. The Ming Tombs (Thirteen Tombs) Scenic Area takes a stance of neither encouraging nor prohibiting this behavior, implementing a set of regulations known as the "Tourist Coin Tossing Management Regulations" to govern the handling of coins tossed by visitors. Staff at the scenic area conduct centralized cleaning after closing hours, typically collecting and counting coins every 10 days during peak season and every 15 days during off-peak season, resulting in an annual collection of tens of thousands of RMB. According to the scenic area's regulations, coins tossed by visitors cannot be used for staff salaries or bonuses but can be utilized for infrastructure development within the scenic area and for small-scale restoration projects not covered by national cultural heritage preservation funds.On the other hand, Yonghe Temple (Lama Temple) in Beijing considers coin tossing disruptive to the order of the scenic area and highly damaging to artifacts. To protect the cultural relics, the management of Yonghe Temple has installed fences, cautionary lines, warning signs, and even glass covers around the artifacts. However, these measures have not yielded ideal results.

Western countries

The Trevi Fountain in Rome, the capital of Italy, is known for a custom where people toss coins for good luck. According to legend, throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain ensures that travelers will return to Rome one day. Approximately €3,000 are thrown into the fountain each day. In 2016, an estimated $1.5 million worth of coins were collected from the fountain. These coins are used to fund a homeless supermarket in Rome. However, attempts to retrieve the coins from the fountain are illegal, despite occasional efforts to do so. There have been reports that the mayor of Rome once considered using the coins from the fountain to pay off the city's debts.

In Las Vegas, USA, due to the city's heavy reliance on the gambling industry, luck plays a crucial role in many people's lives. As a result, many visitors toss coins into fountains. While some of these coins are retrieved by people or lost in drainage systems, the majority are collected and donated to charity. The Bellagio Hotel alone donates around $12,000 annually from the coins collected from its musical fountain.

India

Indians often throw coins into sacred rivers like the Ganges and Yamuna. Many people follow this tradition without knowing its origins, believing that throwing coins into the river brings blessings. However, some analyses suggest that this custom began because rivers were vital sources of drinking water in ancient India. Ancient Indian coins were frequently made of copper or copper alloys, and copper has disinfectant properties. Thus, throwing copper coins into the river was believed to help maintain the cleanliness of the water, making it safer for drinking.

Collecting coins from rivers is permitted. Due to the prevalence of steel coins in modern India, many impoverished individuals use magnets to gather coins from riverbeds, while others dive directly into severely polluted rivers like the Ganges for this purpose.

Thailand

In March 2017, a 25-year-old turtle in a pond in Thap Sakae District, Thailand, developed a swollen stomach and a cracked shell due to ingesting a large quantity of coins tossed into the water by visitors seeking good luck. The turtle underwent surgery to remove 915 coins weighing 5 kilograms. Unfortunately, it succumbed to post-operative complications two weeks later. After its death, the turtle was preserved and is now on display at Chulalongkorn University. On June 14th, the university held a traditional Buddhist ceremony for its spiritual benefit.

Japan

In Japan, due to the auspicious pronunciation of "goen" (meaning fate or destiny), the 5-yen coin is often referred to as "fukubukuro" or "lucky money." Many tourist attractions have designated areas for washing these "lucky coins." In Japanese tradition, there is a custom of donating money (known as "kōyūkin") to temples and shrines, typically by placing coins in donation boxes, often using 5-yen coins. However, throwing coins into ponds was not traditionally common. With the increase in foreign tourists, many ponds at tourist sites have accumulated large amounts of coins.Despite some locations prohibiting the throwing of coins into their ponds, many foreign visitors still engage in this practice. For example, at the Oshino Hakkai ponds near Mount Fuji, authorities retrieved 6,300 yen in 1-yen coins, 27,025 yen in other denominations, along with 307 RMB and Hong Kong dollars in July 2015.

See also

• Jew with a coin
• Amulet
• Saisen
• Wishing well