How San Shan Guo Wang Lots Are Drawn: The Rules Observed in a Temple

Last year I was standing in the middle of a queue in a temple in Guangzhou, and the aunt in front of me was shaking the lot container very slowly.

Each time she shook it, she repeated her question in a low voice; only on the third repetition did one stick fall out.

Later I understood what she was doing: she was not shaking the container, she was making her question clear.

Who San Shan Guo Wang Is

San Shan Guo Wang is a local cult that grew out of the Chaoshan region, passed down in the temples of Chaozhou, Jieyang and other parts of Guangdong, and also found in Chinese communities in Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia. Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage inventory lists the San Shan Guo Wang Birthday as an item of social practices, rituals and festive events (Source 1).

In the traditional temples of Guangdong and Chaoshan, lot divination is a very common way of asking about a matter: the temple keeps a lot container, and after drawing a lot the worshipper receives the matching lot text (Source 2).

The Usual Steps of Drawing a Lot

One: settle the matter in your mind first, down to the concrete people and events involved.

Two: in the temple, pay your respects according to local custom and state your name and the matter you want to ask about.

Three: shake the lot container until one stick jumps out. In some temples the rule is that the same stick has to come out on consecutive shakes; in others the first stick out is the one that counts — read the temple notice before you start.

Four: take the lot number and fetch the corresponding lot text.

Five: many temples also have a confirmation step — the lot only stands if the moon blocks fall sheng (one flat and one rounded), and otherwise you shake again. This step is not superfluous; it is the most interesting piece of design in the whole procedure, because it gives the process an exit marked "does not stand".

Why the Confirmation Step Matters

Because it allows the result to be rejected.

Without the confirmation step, the first stick that comes out is the answer, and people very easily shake again after drawing a lot they dislike, until they are satisfied. With a confirmation step, the rule itself brings "I do not accept this" into the procedure.

Those who skip it are usually not trying to save trouble; they are trying to get the answer they want to hear.

How Drawing Lots Online Differs

What differs online is the random number and the sense of ritual: the random number is supplied by a program, there is no action of yours in the process, and there is no confirmation step either.

It can still be used — treating it as a random entry point for self-reminding is fine — but you should know what it leaves out. What it leaves out is exactly the part of temple lot drawing that takes the most time: making your own question clear.

Tools on this site (for entertainment)

This site offers an entertainment-oriented process: describe your situation clearly → get a method suggestion → read the chart and the interpretation → export the result if you want to keep it. The content is for entertainment and self-reflection only; it promises no prediction and is not decision advice.

This article was last checked on 19 September 2026. Traditional divination has many schools and a long history, and their formulas and versions do not fully agree; the text relies on publicly verifiable sources, and for dates and calendars please refer to the latest official publication.

Disclaimer: This article covers traditional culture and folk custom. It is for entertainment and self-reflection only, and does not constitute medical, psychological, investment, legal or marital decision advice. Please do not submit sensitive personal information such as ID numbers or detailed addresses. If you experience persistent insomnia, anxiety or physical discomfort, please consult a doctor or a qualified professional.

Sources

• "San Shan Guo Wang" (《三山国王》) — Wikipedia entry, including the "San Shan Guo Wang Birthday" item on Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage inventory: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/三山国王 (accessed 19 September 2026)
• "Drawing Lots" and "Lot Verse" (《求签》/《签文》) — Wikipedia entries: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/求签 (accessed 19 September 2026)
• Method page on this site: San Shan Guo Wang Ling Qian: https://zhanbumizhi.top/en/methods/ssgw (accessed 19 September 2026)