Chien Tung

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Chien Tung (簽筒 pinyin qian1 tong2) or Oracle of Kwan Yin (in Buddhist tradition) comes from China and is based on the Book of Changes (I Ching, Yijing). It is sometimes used as a fortune telling tool.

A prediction is made by shaking a stick (flat, with a number on it) out of a box (sliced hole) and then finding the matching fortune. One of these sticks is called the "emperor stick".

The practice of using sticks in Chien Tung may be related to the game of pick-up sticks played today. This theory is based on a Japanese variation, called Mikado, which also has an emperor stick. A form of the game developed in the 16th century and may have been adapted from Chinese culture and religion.