Even with the repeated natural disasters in the formative periods of its ancient civilization, the Chinese maintained a zest for life.

By the time the First Emperor united China at the end of the third century B.C., a decadent or popular form of Taoism had emerged. Popular Taoism was a religion of spirits and magic that provided the spiritual comfort not found in either philosophical Taoism or Confucianism.

Its goals were long life and personal immortality. These goals were to be achieved not so much as a reward for ethical conduct but through magical charms, among other things.

As early as the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 230 AD), the Chinese started to wear charms as pendants around their necks, to hang from their waists, or to attach to rafters of houses, temples, pagodas or other important structures.

Some scholars even believe that Chinese open work charms were among the first to be used for dress ornamentation and decoration purposes.

Over the centuries, Chinese charms for various purposes and of different shapes gradually developed. Some were meant to be part of daily wear. Others were worn only on special holidays or for important rituals.

The charms may use depictions of animals, plants and other objects to substitute for other words because of their similarity in pronunciation, even though they may not have any other relationship to what is being expressed.

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