Some people would resort to all sorts of means to gain wealth. I read that there is a trend among Chinese businessmen to collect “mini coffins” as good luck charms. They hope that these coffins would make their business flourish.
The elderly Chinese who encounter a funeral procession on the road would often say a phrase like: “大吉大利! 棺材棺材, 升官发财! (Da jie li shi! Guan cai guan cai, sheng guan fa cai!)” to turn their luck around. The phrase is basically a petition asking the coffin to grant them success and good fortune instead of ill luck.
For most Chinese, coffins are still taboo items that need to be given a wide berth to avoid misfortune. However, times have changed and people are now more open minded about such things. Some people now use coffins as lucky charms. And then there are those who collect them as a hobby.
Besides being used as the final resting place, people also purchase miniature versions of the coffin for good luck since the Chinese word for coffin is 'Guan Chai', (or 'koon choy' in Cantonese) 'Guan' means officials and 'chai' means wealth. The Chinese believe that if you have in your possession a 'guan chai', then your chances of getting a promotion or obtaining wealth might get a big boost. You might also find some proprietors of businesses displaying a mini coffin outside their shops.
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