Meaning of Chinese Character 福 on Basket Cake and Its History Basket cake (年糕, niángāo ) is a typical Chinese New Year food that symbolizes good luck and prosperity. One of the characters often found on the packaging or surface of basket cake is the Chinese character 福 ( fú ), which means luck, happiness, and blessings . The character 福 is often placed upside down ( 倒福 , dàofú ) in Chinese New Year decorations. This is because the word for “upside down” ( dào , 倒) in Mandarin sounds like the word for “come” ( dào , 到). Thus, 福倒 sounds like 福到 ( fú dào ), which means “good fortune has come.” History of the 福 Character The 福 character has been used in Chinese culture for thousands of years. Its origins can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC), when it appeared on bronze tablets. In its historical context: Ancient Times – 福 originally referred to offerings to the gods for blessings and protection. Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) – The concept of 福 evolved into a sym...