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SHOPPING FANATIC
We love high culture--theatre, dance, music--but
weekends are also made for shopping
As far as we know, Maunakea Marketplace was ground zero for a green revolution. Prime spots to find
lucky bambooNadine Kam
Star-Bulletin
The lucky bamboo started appearing at Tea Hut & Chinese Art Gifts late last year, and has since taken root throughout Chinatown. The cut bamboo (Dracaena sanderana) from China and Taiwan is able to survive in a shallow water and low to bright indirect sunlight, at temperatures of 45 to 90 degrees.
Because it's so hard to kill, the bamboo symbolizes luck, long life and health in Asian cultures. Here in the west, that luck extends to wealth and prosperity at home and in business ventures.
With growing interest in feng shui, the lucky or fortunate bamboo, also brings a desired natural element into the home. At Ping 8 Gift Shop in the Maunakea Marketplace, owner Mona Lam said, "Everyday you see the green color, every day you see the new leaves -- it's very healthy."
The bamboo is sold in a range of lengths from about 3 inches to a foot, and when it comes to luck, size apparently doesn't matter.
"Some people believe more big, more money," Lam said. "But most people don't care."
A 4-inch stalk is about $1, and a 12-incher sells for $2 to $3 in most shops. Arrangements in ceramic vases run about $14 to $35 around Chinatown and at Shirokiya.
As for proof the bamboo works, Tea Hut owner June Wu said, "I make more money when I sell it, so it's good luck."
Other sources of lucky bamboo:
Hong Fa Market, 115 N. Hotel St.
Shopping Fanatic is a Thursday feature
dedicated to the pursuit of shopping finds
beyond the big mall.
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