A face-reading (kan xiang) is an ancient Chinese method for divining one's nature and destiny by looking at his or her face. And its concepts of what makes a "good face" are still influential. Some parents seek cosmetic surgery for their children in hopes it will improve their futures.

Considerable cosmetic surgery is based on these ideals (though what is popular for top models can be quite different).

In this system, the face is divided into sections. Ideally there should be "three foreheads and five eyes" (san ting wu yan). The face should have three horizontal sections the size of the forehead and five eye-lengths from ear to ear.

This is said to be harmonious and pleasing, a "good face" or fu gui xiang.

These kinds of faces have appeal worldwide.

On another level, the face is divided into different "houses" ruling different aspects of life. The forehead rules career and achievements, the nose rules fortune and money, the mouth is for friends and social relations and the chin is for children.

Some fortune-tellers say the system is based on the face of the Buddha.

In general, a good face is round; angles, defined cheekbones, a sharp nose and sharp chin are bad, especially for a woman. (Many models, of course, have cosmetic surgery to get sharper chins and cheekbones.)

A "good" nose is straight one with a large rounded tip, like that of Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan. A woman with a sharp nose is said to bring bad fortune and financial problems to her husband.

One Hong Kong actress changed her prominent nose to attract a husband - old friends wouldn't marry her because they all knew what her old nose looked like (hence, her character and their luck).

There's also a suggestion, however, that changing one's physical appearance can alter one's personality and traits - not just deceive observers.

Thus, a softer face not only reflects a soft nature but also can soften one's nature.

Similarly, high sharp cheekbones are said to indicate a domineering woman, a bad choice in marriage. Many models, however, seek blade-like cheeks.

A "good" forehead must be broad and wide to ensure steady and excellent achievements. Many world leaders are said to have a strong forehead.

The mouth reflects and determines friendships and social relations.

Thus a "good" mouth has full lips, while thin lips suggest selfishness and cunning. A mouth should not be turned down but should hint at a smile.

The chin is said to determine the well being of children. As with the forehead, a "good" chin is full and round, not sharp. A sharp chin is said to indicate bad luck for children, rebellious children or possible infertility. The I Ching and the butterfly effect The I Ching system, an ancient system of divination, is basically a complicated binary system consisting of 64 symbols. Based on the "Book of Changes," it is extraordinarily difficult to explain and master, but it is said that masters can make sense of any random event in the universe by a simple but arcane "glance" at the world.

The I Ching holds that everything in the world is related to every other thing through a certain order. A falling leaf could indicate the end of a war and be a sign that a mouse will nibble your pillow.

It might be likened to the butterfly effect that says that a butterfly in South America can cause a typhoon in Asia.

A classic story in one of the I Ching texts tells how a master encounters a vendor who tries to sell him sticks of incense. The man drops the box of sticks by accident and the master declares, "You should flee because you are selling fake incense."

Two months later, the vendor is arrested for selling fakes and people become curious about how the master knew about the fraud.

The master explains that he creates an equation based on the time he encountered the seller and the dropping of the "incense."

Through a complex calculation, he arrives at the symbol of 64 in I Ching, which indicates water. But incense is made of wood, so the master should have arrived at the sign for the element of wood (one of the five elements, including water, fire, metal and earth).

He concluded, therefore, that the vendor was selling poor-quality wooden sticks that were not dry, but damp with water, fakes.

(Shanghai Daily July 10, 2009)