Man in China wins S$1.8K lottery prize after scratching ticket while paying respect at ancestors’ tombs

Man scratches lottery tickets at his ancestors’ tombs & wins prize money

A 25-year-old man in China recently won big in the lottery after scratching tickets while paying respects at his ancestors’ tombs during the Ching Ming Festival.

The man, from Guangxi province, brought along 60 lottery scratch cards — which he had bought for 600 yuan (S$108) — to his ancestors’ grave during the recent tomb-sweeping festival, hoping to get lucky with a little help from beyond.

According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), he scratched all 60 tickets at the gravesite and was soon rewarded with a 4,000-yuan (S$722) prize on one of the cards.

Source: Bastille Post

After his initial win, the man bowed four more times in gratitude, then continued scratching the same ticket — and eventually uncovered a total prize of 10,000 yuan (S$1,800).

He later said this was the largest amount he had ever won and attributed his luck to his ancestors’ blessings.

Man attributes luck to ancestors’ blessings

The man shared pictures of his winning tickets online, writing simply: “Thank you, ancestors.”`

His post has since garnered 90 thousand likes and 20 thousand comments, according to SCMP.

Source: Southern China Morning Post (SCMP)

“Your ancestors seem to be quite different from mine. I did not win anything this year,” one person said in a comment on his post.

“Young people today are putting too much pressure on their ancestors,” another netizen joked.

“Burn joss paper worth dozens of yuan and make wishes worth millions,” a third said.

Scratch cards are part of ancestral rituals for young Chinese

During the Ching Ming Festival — also known as the grave-sweeping festival — many Chinese people visit ancestral tombs with offerings to pay their respects and pray for good fortune.

In the southern provinces of Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan, it’s common for families to bring food, joss paper, and incense — and now, lottery tickets — as part of the tradition.

SCMP noted that scratch cards have gained popularity among younger Chinese people in recent years, thanks to their low price and entertainment value.

In 2023, China’s scratch card lottery industry generated 119 billion yuan (S$21.5 billion) in revenue, twice the amount from the year before. However, sales dipped by 2.5% between May and November due to a supply shortage, as cited in The Economic Observer.

Also read: ‘It was a blessing from my dad’: US man wins S$134K lottery prize 3 weeks after father’s death

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Featured image adapted from Bastille Post and Southern China Morning Post (SCMP).