Missed dot or masterstroke? God of Wealth poster errors spark LNY debate

While the same God of Wealth poster has graced the city's doorways for generations during the festive season, two unexpected errors have slipped through this Chinese New Year.

The mistakes caught the attention of Jimmy Pang Chi-ming, president of local publisher Subculture, whose social media post about the iconic poster distributed by a local bank quickly went viral.

In his post, Pang compared this year’s poster with last year’s,  highlighting that the character “kung”  in the blessing “kung hei fat choy” appeared to be missing a dot this year. 

He went on to point out a second error, where the upper radical of the character "fat"—meaning prosperity—was incorrectly written with a component associated with the character for sacrifice.

Online users confirmed the “fat” error already existed in previous versions, including last year’s poster. 

A photo of the original hand-painted artwork from three years ago showed the same “fat” mistake was present from the start, suggesting the missing dot on “kung” is a new printing error introduced in 2026.

Further comparisons surfaced, including a 1970s version of the poster where “kung” was correct but “fat” was written differently from both the original artwork and modern prints.

While some blamed quality control for overlooking the errors, others speculated about the use of AI in the design process. 

Despite the mistakes, many responded with humor and creativity, with one joking the miswritten phrase was “pleasant to hear." 

Another humorously suggested the bank had deliberately left the dot off, inviting the public to perform the "dotting of the eyes" ceremony themselves—a traditional practice believed to bring statues and paintings to life.

Some even regarded it as a clever marketing strategy, praising the bank for generating buzz through the errors.

For a few, the incorrect edition has become a collector's item. "This misprint version is worth treasuring," one commenter wrote. "It might appreciate a hundredfold in value."

Others, however, viewed the mistakes as inauspicious and worrying they might affect their share of good fortune this year.