Q: Dear Uncle Wang,

I recently heard that Chinese people believe that having a big nose is a sign of wealth. Is that true?

What other facial features are believed to be auspicious and a sign of success or good fortune?

A: Superstitious Chinese believe that a person's character and destiny can be read from the features of the head and the face.

Face reading takes into account the shape of the face, forehead, eyebrows, eyes, cheek, nose, mouth and chin.

The first requisite for wealth and good fortune is symmetry of the two sides of the face. Some Chinese believe that there needs to be good balance on your face in order to have a smooth and carefree life.

If your earlobes are large, like a statue of Buddha, it means that you are wise and will be wealthy. Small earlobes, one the other hand, are considered unlucky.

A beauty spot under your nose means that you are lucky and will be rich; a beauty spot at the corner of your mouth means that you like eating, one below the eye means that you often cry, and if you have a mole on your chin, like Chairman Mao did, you will be successful and most likely you are a good leader.

A person with a big forehead is often considered to be intelligent, while in Shanghai people believe that a high forehead will bring you luck.

Many Chinese songs praise people with dimples, as they are considered to have a friendly and charming personality.

Now check your eyebrows. Some believe that very thick and dark eyebrows are a reflection of your bad character and a person with such eyebrows is considered to be cruel.

As for the nose, if it is high with a straight bridge, you can consider yourself fortunate. The higher, the larger the nose is the better.

If a woman has a big nose, it is said to bring wealth to any man she marries. A small crooked nose, on the other hand, won't bring you any luck or fortune.

Large, wide-set eyes are auspicious, and small, close-set eyes are considered unlucky.

A large chin is also believed to be auspicious and said to bring good fortune, whereas a man with a square chin is believed to be tight with his money. A person who has thin lips likes to speak badly of others.

There are many similar beliefs and often they differ in different parts of China.

Physiognomy - judging a person's character based on his or her facial features - has been practiced in China since ancient times and although many Chinese people are still superstitious, it is important to remember that most no longer follow these beliefs.

Please send your cultural questions about China to twocents-sh@globaltimes.com.cn