A 48-year-old middle-aged man walked into an elderly gentleman’s study. The elderly gentleman asked the man to provide his birth information. This man is the writer Ni Kuang, known as one of the “Four Talented Men of Hong Kong.” The elderly gentleman is named Dong Mu-jie, and his specialty is using a method called “Iron Plate Numerology” to analyze people’s fates. It is rumored that there are no more than 5 successors of this method in the world. With an abacus in hand and a book with annotations, one’s destiny, good or bad, becomes clear.
This episode of “Legendary Drift” tells the story of Dong Mu-jie, a renowned figure in the world of metaphysics in Hong Kong.
After Ni Kuang provided his birth information, he couldn’t pinpoint the exact minute of his birth. So Mr. Dong said, “Iron Plate Numerology requires precision down to the minute. So the first thing I need to do is find out the exact minute of your birth.”
Thus, Dong Mu-jie picked up the iron abacus and started calculating from the approximate time Ni Kuang mentioned, around 1 o’clock. Through meticulous calculation, he arrived at the number 10527. He asked Ni Kuang to flip to the 527th line in the tenth book to see what was written there.
Following Dong’s instructions, Ni Kuang flipped through the book and read “father deceased, mother present,” but Ni Kuang’s parents were both alive, so he shook his head in denial. Dong Mu-jie then provided another number after calculation, and when Ni Kuang flipped the book, it read “left arm amputated,” to which Ni Kuang again shook his head.
After another calculation, Dong Mu-jie found another number, and this time, Ni Kuang exclaimed, “This time, you got it right.” Dong nodded and said, “I have found your accurate birth time; it is 12:37.” At this point, the fortune-telling process had just begun.
Iron Plate Numerology first requires analyzing the family background, including the number of siblings, the status of parents, the Chinese zodiac signs of family members, etc. It is said that this part is 100% accurate for everyone.
Then Mr. Dong used the iron abacus to extract precise annotations from the twelve books, encompassing Ni Kuang’s entire life from past to future, including relatives, friends, siblings, parents, wife, and children.
Ni Kuang discovered that in his marriage, his wife is three years younger than him, and all this information matched. Among the names of friends, there was a friend with the surname “Zha,” whose full name is Zha Liangyong, another of the “Four Talented Men of Hong Kong,” Jin Yong.
This story was later recorded by Ni Kuang himself and published online. Ni Kuang and Hong Kong commentator residing in Taiwan, Xiao Ruoyuan, believe that “Iron Plate Numerology” is very accurate and detailed when it comes to the past but vague about the future.
On April 20th this year, Dong Mu-jie’s grandson announced the passing of his grandfather, who was 101 years old when he passed away.
Dong Mu-jie, known in Hong Kong as “Iron Plate Numerologist” and “Dong Sage,” was active in the 1980s and 1990s. It was estimated that he earned over 20 million Hong Kong dollars a year. Many celebrities in Hong Kong sought his advice, but he has faded from the public eye in recent decades.
According to one legend, Dong Mu-jie was born in 1922 in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. At the age of 16, he began studying Iron Plate Numerology under a master. He started practicing fortune-telling at the age of 24 and only became a master after nine years of apprenticeship. There is another version of the story as well. The renowned numerologist Wei Qianli published Dong Mu-jie’s early life in the 1986 magazine “Destiny and Fate.”
During the Republic of China era in Shanghai, “Iron Plate Numerology” was popular among the elite and intellectuals. Even Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang had their own destiny charts.
Dong Mu-jie’s mother passed away when he was young, and due to conflicts with his father’s second wife, he left his hometown alone. In 1948, at the age of 25, Dong Mu-jie’s business in Shanghai failed, leaving him with no relatives and poor health. That winter, he sought guidance from the master Wei Qianli for his destiny.
It seems that when people face setbacks, they often think about destiny more than when they are successful, and Dong Mu-jie was no exception. Wei Qianli found him quite clever and took him in, allowing him to work at the brokerage firm he established.
In 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party seized power on the mainland, the stock market came to a halt, and Dong Mu-jie lost a lot of money and his job. He turned to Wei Qianli for guidance on destiny. Wei Qianli suggested that Dong Mu-jie learn Iron Plate Numerology and introduced him to an elderly man, Wang Huaijie, who specialized in it.
It is said that Iron Plate Numerology was invented by the well-known Neo-Confucian thinker and mathematician Shao Yong during the Northern Song Dynasty, who was also a Taoist. The method is divided into the Northern School, Luoyang School, and Jiangnan School, all founded by Shao Yong, who passed them down to his daughter, son, and son-in-law, respectively. The latter two schools are now lost, leaving only the Southern School passed down to his daughter.
At the age of 26, Dong Mu-jie had a remarkable memory and was well-versed in abacus calculations. In less than three months, he learned how to practice and ventured into fortune-telling. Wei Qianli also introduced him to the bustling Daguan Yuan in Shanghai to do business, leading to his success over time.
In 1952, the painter Liu Haisu happened to have his fortune told by Dong Mu-jie, and the accuracy astonished him. He then recommended his painter friend Wu Hufan to try it as well. At that time, Wu Hufan was in a difficult situation because his eldest son had recently been executed for being reported to the authorities for listening to foreign radio broadcasts at home, labeled as “eavesdropping on enemy broadcasts.”
Dong Mu-jie said, “Eldest son met an untimely end.” Wu Hufan was shocked that the fate of his eldest son was predicted through Iron Plate Numerology, and everything else matched. From then on, Dong Mu-jie’s reputation continued to grow.
In 1959, Dong Mu-jie relocated to Hong Kong, following Wei Qianli, who had moved there earlier. Dong Mu-jie started his fortune-telling business in Kowloon, initially catering to dancers, but as his business grew, his fees increased, and the waiting time extended to three months. Wei Qianli described it as “calculating fortunes amid upheaval.”
Why did Dong Mu-jie move to Hong Kong? Wei Qianli’s writings do not mention it, but it can be inferred that after the Chinese Communist Party took power in 1949, fortune-telling practices gradually faced crackdowns on the mainland. It wasn’t just fortune-telling that was targeted; all aspects of traditional Chinese culture that maintained human morality, such as Buddhism, Taoism, belief in gods, karmic retribution, heaven and hell, reverence for Heaven and spirits, were ridiculed, demonized, and labeled as “feudal” and “superstitious.”
It is believed that both Wei Qianli and Dong Mu-jie found refuge in Hong Kong amidst the chaotic Communist rule, seeking stability and survival.
Dong Mu-jie fortune-told for many Hong Kong celebrities, including the writer Ni Kuang, and the late lyricist James Wong. James Wong once praised Dong Mu-jie’s destiny chart as “accurate in every word.”
Anyone familiar with the Hong Kong martial arts comic “The Storm Riders” knows the classic line, “How can a golden dragon remain in a pond? Upon meeting wind and clouds, it transforms into a dragon.” Some media reports suggest that Dong Mu-jie once told the prominent Hong Kong comic artist Ma Wing-shing his fortune, predicting his departure from the organization he was then with, leading him to venture out on his own and eventually create the iconic work “The Storm Riders.”
There are also reports that Dong Mu-jie foretold the future of the famous couple in love, Julian Cheung and Anita Yuen, saying that if they did not marry before the age of 30, they would part ways. True enough, the two registered their marriage before turning 30 in February 2001.
The late star Leslie Cheung also consulted Dong Mu-jie for fortune-telling. Dong’s prediction for Leslie Cheung was, “Treat others sincerely, and they will disrespect you.” This implied that by being kind to others, they may not reciprocate the same kindness.
Dong Mu-jie also predicted the fate of Hong Kong businessman Hing Lee Kit, who was told by Dong that he would marry a celestial beauty. Hing Lee Kit’s first wife was actress and designer Cheung Tin Oi, and his second wife was the famous actress Brigitte Lin, truly fitting the description of a “celestial beauty.”
The late star Anita Mui once revealed that Dong Mu-jie’s prediction for her included the phrase “meant to marry a foreigner.” Although Anita Mui did have a Japanese boyfriend, they never married, and she remained single throughout her life.
Aside from the entertainment industry, many figures from the business and political sectors also sought Dong Mu-jie’s fortune-telling services.
Hong Kong investment banker David Yuen was warned by Dong Mu-jie not to start a business before the age of forty. When Li Ka-shing invested in the private bank Fortis at that time, David Yuen was only 36 years old and had to forego the opportunity to become a boss. During the 1998 Asian financial crisis, Fortis went bankrupt, saving him from a significant loss.
When Chiang Ching-kuo and Soong Chu-yu ran for President in Taiwan, their wives personally visited Hong Kong to consult with Mr. Dong. The result they received was a note saying, “There is destiny, but no luck.” Soong Chu-yu ran for President five times, four as a presidential candidate and one as a vice-presidential candidate, but none were successful.
“Iron Plate Numerology” was indeed a social phenomenon during Hong Kong’s “golden era” of the 1980s, with Dong Mu-jie as a prominent figure of that period. Without his move to Hong Kong, under Communist rule, fortune-telling would have likely faced severe restrictions. Dong Mu-jie might have found it challenging to continue his profession and even ensure his regular survival.
Dong Mu-jie’s predictions for various celebrities mostly came true, reinforcing the notion that “everything is predestined.” As the singer Samuel Hui sings, “There is a time for everything in fate; do not force things when the time is not right.” These phrases indeed hold much wisdom.
From a fishing village to a metropolis, Hong Kong harbors outstanding talents. Some say Hong Kong is a paradise for adventurers and a harbor for wisdom and diligence. The civility, courage, and backbone of Hong Kong people shine brightly in critical moments, embodying considerable tolerance and compassion. The term “Hong Konger” has come to represent a spirit that can continue to shine wherever it goes in the world. There are exceptional individuals connected to Hong Kong, adding vibrancy to its culture and spirit. Stay tuned for the brand-new program “Legendary Drift,” delving into the stories of significant and lesser-known figures, sharing their life legends.
All contents of this issue of “Legendary Drift” are available for online viewing.
– Production Team of “Legendary Drift”