“A Living Tradition”

Abstract

This article traces one method of divination, Chinese character divination, from imperial China to contemporary Taiwan. The article proves that many of the techniques used in character divination today originally stem from imperial Chinese sources. It thus shows the continued significance of this method as a living tradition in contemporary Chinese-speaking countries. The article first gives a concise overview of early sources of character divination. It then focuses on three important works from late imperial China, namely the Zichu (Realising a Character’s True Meaning), parts of the Gujin tushu jicheng (Complete Collection of Old and Contemporary Diagrams and Writings), and the Cezi midie (Secret Documents on Fathoming Chinese Characters). In these materials, the treatment of character divination gradually changed from a loose description in short narratives to rigidly defined rules and regulations. Finally, the article juxtaposes these findings with the reality of Chinese character divination in contemporary Taiwan by analysing the results of fieldwork carried out in 2014 and 2015.