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The Jin Chan (Chinese: 金蟾; pinyin: jīn chán; lit. 'Golden Toad'), also called Chan Chu (Chinese: 蟾蜍; pinyin: chánchú; lit. 'Toad') or "Zhaocai Chan Chu" (Chinese: 招财蟾蜍; pinyin: zhāocái chánchú; lit. 'wealth-beckoning toad'), is most commonly translated as "Money Toad" or "Money Frog". It represents a popular Feng Shui charm for prosperity.
This mythical creature is said to appear during the full moon, near houses or businesses that will soon receive good news (most of the time, the nature of this good news is understood to be wealth-related).
The money toad is associated with Liu Haichan, as the sennin's animal companion.
The Jin Chan is usually depicted as a bullfrog with red eyes, flared nostrils and only one hind leg (for a total of three legs), sitting on a pile of traditional Chinese cash, with a coin in its mouth. On its back, it often displays seven diamond spots. According to Feng Shui beliefs, Jin Chan helps attract and protect wealth, and guards against bad luck. Because it symbolizes the flow of money, Feng Shui lore insists that a Jin Chan statue should not be positioned facing the main door ("outward"). It also "should never be kept in the bathroom, bedroom, dining room or kitchen".[1]
See also
- Maneki Neko
- Nang Kwak
References
- ^ "The Three-Legged Money Frog: Some Dos and Don'ts". Archived from the original on November 28, 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- Ch’an Chu: The Lucky Money Toad, The Anthropology of Money in Southern California