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Complete Yu Sheng Words & Phrases 🥢 Lou Hei Yee Sang Ingredients & Meanings 2024 🐲

Lou-Hei-Yee-Shang-Phrases
Cameras "eat" and lou hei with us 😄

✍ Updated Jan 2024. Nothing gets a Chinese New Year get together to a more rousing start than an energetic lou hei yee sang (or yusheng) 捞起魚生 raw fish salad tossing session 🐲


Complete Lou Hei Yee Sang. Yusheng Ingredients Auspicious Meaning

Originally an informal Chinese New Year custom among Southeast Asian Chinese, lou hei yee sang has since spread to other Chinese communities around the world.

Lou-Hei-Yee-Sang-Yusheng

Nowadays, at Chinese New Year gatherings, a customary round of exuberant lou hei yee sang is almost mandatory (especially in Singapore and Malaysia).

Lou-Hei-Yee-Sang-Yusheng

Lou Hei Yusheng is essentially a salad with all the ingredients selected because of their auspiciousness. So when the revellers toss the lou hei yusheng, they will shout out the auspicious phrases with gusto.


Few things bind family, friends, and communities together like shouting out and showering well wishes and blessings on everyone in unison.



👆 How to Lou Hei 🥢 
🥢🥢

There are variations of the auspicious phrases over the decades (since lou hei yee sang first appeared in the 1960s). Here are the common ones (in Mandarin Chinese):
  • Fish 年年有餘 (nián nián yǒu yú) Always have more than enough
  • Carrots 鸿运当头 (hóng yùn dāng tóu) May good fortune be upon you
  • Green radish 青春常驻 (qīng chūn cháng zhù) May you be youthful and vital always
  • White radish 风生水起 (fēng shēng shuǐ qǐ) May your success roar like the wind and waves
  • Pamelo / Lime 大吉大利 (dà jí dà lì) Wish you good luck and good profits
  • Pepper 招财进宝 (zhāo cái jìn bǎo) Attract wealth and receive treasures
  • Chinese 5-spice powder 五福臨門 (wǔ fú lín mén) May all good fortune be upon you and your family
  • Sesame seeds 大小平安 (dà xiǎo píng ān) Peace and safety for all in your family
  • Ground Peanut 金玉滿堂 (jīn yù mǎn táng) May your home be filled with wealth and treasure
  • Fried Crisps 黄金满地 (huáng jīn mǎn de) May wealth and prosperity be everywhere
  • Peanut oil 家肥屋嫩 (jiā féi wū nèn) Prosperity and harmony at home
  • Sesame oil 财源广进 (cái yuán guǎng jìn) May wealth pour in from all directions
  • Plum sauce 甜甜蜜蜜 (tián tián mì mì) May your life be sweet like honey!

Lou-Hei-Yee-Sang-Yusheng

Other auspicious phases (in Mandarin Chinese) commonly recited during the toss include:
  • 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) Happy New Year!
  • 喜气洋洋 (xǐ qì yáng yang) Joy is in the air!
  • 恭喜發財 (gōng xǐ fā cái) Congratulations to you for your wealth / May you be rich and wealthy
  • 龙马精神 (lóng mǎ jīng shén) Wish you good health and vitality
  • 生意兴隆  (shēng yi xīng lóng) May your business thrive and flourish
  • 財源滾滾 (cái yuán gǔn gǔn) May wealth roll in, in waves upon waves
  • 工作顺利 (gōng zuò shùn lì) Wish you smooth progress at work
  • 马到成功 (mǎ dào chéng gōng) Wish you swift success
  • 步步高升 (bù bù gāo shēng) Steady progress with every step
  • 大展鴻圖 (dà zhǎn hóng tú) May your success be glorious and prominent
  • 花開富貴 (huā kāi fù guì) May your wealth and prestige bloom
  • 万事如意 (wàn shì rú yì) May all your wishes come true
  • 心想事成 (xīn xiǎng shì chéng) May all your wishes come true
  • 萬事勝意 (wàn shì shèng yì) May everything turn out even better than what you wished for
  • 吉星高照 (jí xīng gāo zhào) May the star of fortune shine brightly upon you
  • 吉慶有餘 (jí qìng yǒu yú) May you have more than enough good fortune
  • 名揚四海 (míng yáng sì hǎi) May your fame be known across the four seas
  • 幸福永远 (xìng fú yǒng yuǎn) May your love be forever blissful
  • 身体健康 (shēn tǐ jiàn kāng) Wish you good health
  • 福壽雙全 (fú shòu shuāng quán) May you be blessed with good fortune and longevity
  • 身壯力健 (shēn zhuàng lì jiàn) May you be strong and healthy
  • 笑口常开 (xiào kǒu cháng kāi) Keep smiling always
  • 歲歲平安 (suì suì píng ān) May peace and safety be with you, year after year
  • 团团圆圆 (tuán tuán yuán yuán) May your family be united and harmonious
  • 閤家平安 (gé jiā píng ān) Wish your family peace and safety
  • 阖家欢乐 (hé jiā huān lè) Happiness for your whole family!
These auspicious greetings can also be used anytime during the fifteen days of Chinese New Year celebrations.



Watch the origin story of lou hei yee sang as told by the Four Heavenly Kings 四大天王 of Cantonese cuisine in Singapore.

Huat's_Up_Origame

Origame, a world famous board game design company from Singapore has created HUAT'S UP! an exciting card game based on the lo hei yee sang tradition. It's fun. Try it!

Lou-Hei-Yee-Sang-Yusheng

May I wish everyone kong hee fatt choy恭喜发财! May you be healthy, wealthy and prosperous!



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Reviewed & Updated by Tony Boey in Feb 2015 🐐 Jan 2023 🐰 Jan 2024 🐲

35 comments:

  1. Thanks for such a comprehensive and informative post, Tony. I'm English-educated and thus, had only a shallow understanding of why certain ingredients are selected for the yusheng.

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    Replies
    1. Glad it helped. I had lots of fun and learnt a lot while compiling this list. Happy New Year!

      Delete
  2. Really comprehensive explanation on the YEE sang ingredient!
    Although I have been eating YEE sang all these years, I don't know what each ingredient represent, but now I know :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too :-D I learnt a lot of things I didn't know before while writing this post. Happy New Year!

      Delete
  3. ha..ha..enjoy reading this post & learn with all the good nice words to say during lou sang :) cheers, siennylovesdrawing

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Sienny. Maybe you can draw an infographic about lou hei ingredients meanings :-D

      Delete
  4. Interesting post! At least now we know the real meaning behind lou sang. Happy CNY!

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  5. gong xi fa cai!.. so i was told the yee sang tossing isn't prevalent in China, and its mostly a singapore/malaysia thing, not sure how true is that though.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it's a Malaysia and Singapore thing :-D It's spreading around the world though because it is so meaningful.

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  6. hohohoh..this is details post and i enjoy reading it. i have been loh sang and yee sang for many years and this is first time i read a good meaningful explanation of what i have been tossing. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Cindyrina. Glad that this is helpful. Wish you a Happy New Year!

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  7. Love all the details... thanks for sharing so I learn a couple of new things.... Happy New Year and Gong Xi Fa Cai... Angpow mana... hehehe

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    Replies
    1. LOL Thank you and Happy New Year. Angpow under your pillow ;-p

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  8. Gong Hei Fa Choi!!! Wish you an advanced Chinese New Year!

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  9. Really cool stuff about the meaning of Yeesang ingredients. I have a suggestion, can you please make a graphic about what you just explained in this blog post. I think expats like me would love to read about Yeesang ingredients' meanings because we do find Malaysian culture really interesting.

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  10. You guys look cool when 'lou sang' and thanks for your useful phrases! haha.

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  11. wow!!! the lao sang looks very nice!!! Gong Xi Fa Chai!!!

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  12. Ya, Lou Sang has become common during Chinese New Year. Everyone will toss as high as they can. Happy Chinese New Year

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a great traditional. So fun and meaningful to do together. Wish you a Happy New Year!

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  13. I love to lou sang with all my makan kakis! Yummy!~ Prosperity!~

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  14. Tony! Happy CNY! :D The lao sang looks really good and yes to prosperity always! Great post btw, love reading them <3

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    1. Thank you Shivani :-D Wish you a Happy New Year and great 2016 :-D

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  15. very informative, i really didn't know why the use of certain ingredients on all their meanings before this. happy CNY to you

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    Replies
    1. Glad that it is useful. Happy New Year to you and family Leona.

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  16. I love to toss Yee Sang. It brings the feel good and happy feeling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's such an awesome tradition right? Let's keep it going :-D

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  17. Wah..a lot of research done! Very informative! Thumbs up!
    (Chong. LH)

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  18. I always spent my half an hour to read this website's articles or
    reviews everyday along with a cup of coffee.

    ReplyDelete

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