Master Han Fei in his writings of Han Feizi in the late third century BC regarded fu as both longevity and wealth. Ouyang Xiu, a well-known poet in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), expressed his understanding of fu in a poem: "Serve my country wholehearted till the end, retire home to enjoy health and longevity." The core of the five fu in his mind was longevity and health.

People of various classes and social statuses also held different view of fu. For peasants, fu meant land, pleasant weather, good harvests, ample food, and enough clothing for one's family. People in ancient cities would think they had fu if they could survive cruel rulers, wars, and famines. To merchants and businessmen, gold and swelling wealth were fu . For elder people, nothing would bring about more happiness than health, longevity, and grandchildren playing around them.

Over time, fu has gained newer and richer meanings. As the main ingredient of a propitious culture, fu represents the common people's greatest expectations from life and reflects their dreams and desires from different angles and levels. Praying for fu (or desires to reach fu) has slowly and subtly influenced the folk culture and become a kind of worship.

Ancient people had a realistic and dialectical view of fu . Lao Tzu said: "Good fortune lies within bad; bad fortune lurks within good." In other words, one element co-exists with another element, while calamity and luck can replace or exchange with each other.

In Treatise on Response and Retribution, Lao Tzu furthermore explained the relationship of these two elements: "Calamity and luck have no door; you have to find your own way in or out of it." In his view, calamity and luck are hard to predict, but human beings can make an effort to adjust and change themselves in order to reach the ultimate fu .

  Star of Prosperity, Lu Xing

Lu Xing was said to be the first star of the Big Dipper, an auspicious star blessing ancient intellectuals with a position in the civil service. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Lu Xing became another name for Scholar Star.

The popularity of Lu Xing among common people and especially intellectuals might well be due to the establishment of the Imperial Examinations, a Chinese civil service recruitment method and educational system.

Before the Sui Dynasty (581-618) when the system was first employed, common people hardly had access to becoming court officials. For most intellectuals across China, the path to high positions in the central bureaucracy appeared to be too crowded. It’s not hard to imagine how severe the examinations could be in ancient China. Therefore, Lu Xing naturally became a god whom most examinees would turn to for blessing.

Lu Xing is often seen holding a baby boy -- another route to prosperity and especially a source of comfort in old age. From the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Lu Xing became a god that helped couples overcome childlessness.