Kau chim, kau cim, chien tung,[1] "lottery poetry" and Chinese fortune sticks are names for a fortune telling practice that originated in China in which a person poses questions and interprets answers from flat sticks inscribed with text or numerals.

The practice of kau chim or chien tung interpretation dates back to the Jin dynasty, according to the Jade Box Records, an ancient Chinese book on date selection, written by the famous Taoist monk Xu Xun in the 3rd century AD.

The querent kneels in prayer, holding the cup between their palms and asking their question to the deity, either aloud or by whispering.

In most cases, to confirm the validity of the answer given by the deity, the querent will pick up and toss two jiaobei blocks.

Much emphasis is placed on denial when both sides flat are tossed; some legends say when this happens, the deities are laughing at the querent.

[2] In many cases, an offering is made prior to the asking of the question in order to carry good favor from the higher powers.

At places such as the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, the handheld bucket is replaced with a larger container.

In Hong Kong, by and large the most popular place for this fortune telling practice is the Wong Tai Sin Temple which draws thousands to millions of people each year.

[5] In 1915, kau chim sticks were introduced to the United States under the trade name "Chi Chi Chinese Fortune Teller" by the Pacific Dry Goods Company of San Francisco, California, where a large population of Cantonese Chinese immigrants had settled.

The Chi Chi sticks, 78 in number, were made in China of bamboo but they were marked with Arabic numerals instead of Chinese characters, and were packaged in a bright yellow and red chipboard tube with a black lid (like a modern mailing tube).

They fell out of popularity during World War II, but only due to problems with supply, as China had been invaded by Japan and trade routes were disrupted.