The Chinese character often hung upside down at New Year because it sounds like “arrive” is Fu (福), meaning fortune, good luck, blessing, or happiness.
The wordplay uses the similar sounds of dào (倒), meaning “upside down,” and dào (到), meaning “to arrive.” Thus, an inverted 福 can be read as “fortune arrives.” Red paper squares bearing the character are commonly placed on doors or walls during Chinese New Year celebrations.
The custom is associated with spring festival decorations and is widespread among Chinese communities, though practices vary. In some Cantonese-speaking communities, the pun can be interpreted differently: “upside down” may suggest pouring luck away, so the character is not always inverted there.
Fu is easy to confuse with Shou (壽), which represents longevity, or Xi (囍), the “double happiness” character often associated with weddings. Lu (祿) is linked to prosperity or official success, but it is not the character used in this New Year wordplay.