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Fran Lu

A feng shui-obsessed Chinese woman who kept repositioning a traffic mirror caused multiple accidents in her residential compound.
Residents of a Shanghai community were troubled by frequent road accidents at a sharp turn for the past two months.
People believed that a traffic mirror positioned since the compound opened for use in 2012 was being constantly moved, compromising public safety.
The property management company adjusted it many times, but the problem persisted.

An investigation revealed that a woman resident, who lives opposite the mirror, kept adjusting its to protect her home’s feng shui.
Feng shui, which means wind and water, is the traditional Chinese practice of arranging buildings and objects to achieve a harmonious living environment. Mirrors are an important feature in this.
It is believed they should not face the front door, windows or the bed; otherwise, it would scare away the god of fortune and bring trouble to a household.
Cracked mirrors should also be replaced according to feng shui theories.
The woman’s husband, surnamed Luo, told Shanghai TV that his wife had suffered “bad luck and health” recently and invited a feng shui master to check their home.
The master concluded that the traffic mirror was to blame.

Luo said they felt it was like a “demon-revealing mirror”, an item in Chinese mythology that could reveal the true identity of a demon disguised as a human.
“We are no demons. We are not happy having a demon-revealing mirror pointing at us,” he said.
He also justified their behaviour by insisting that no one really uses the mirror.
However, neighbours disagreed. One said they were forced to pay extra attention when making the turn.
The property management company initially tried to settle the case by installing another mirror on the opposite side of the road, so that vehicles coming from both sides could observe the traffic without Luo’s home being affected.
At first, Luo’s wife agreed, then a few days later, her family suffered bad luck, so she adjusted both mirrors again.
The neighbourhood committee that manages the community invited the police to educate Luo and his wife on January 21.

The property management company also sealed the position of the mirror with cement.
The police told them their behaviour may constitute a criminal offence which carries the possibility of imprisonment.
The police also warned them that they could be held responsible for traffic accidents caused by them moving the mirrors.
“They protected their own feng shui but compromised the safety of other people. I suppose what they did would not bring them harmony eventually,” one online observer said.
Another said: “It is foolish to blame everything on a mirror.”


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Police called in after woman and her family suffer a run of bad luck, health; officers say superstitious behaviour could constitute criminal offence


Police called in after woman and her family suffer a run of bad luck, health; officers say superstitious behaviour could constitute criminal offence.


China woman adjusts community traffic mirror for better feng shui, causing series of accidents

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Police called in after woman and her family suffer a run of bad luck, health; officers say superstitious behaviour could constitute criminal offence

Police called in after woman and her family suffer a run of bad luck, health; officers say superstitious behaviour could constitute criminal offence