Chinese men burning currency and other weird ways rich flaunt wealth

Throughout history, people have had status symbols. Sometimes, these things have been gold and jewels. But sometimes, they’re a bit weirder. Here are 10 bizarre status symbols from the past.

The Chinese revellers were captured burning their currency to win a debate on who is the wealthiest, where arrested.

The revellers were celebration one friend buying a new home in Anhui’s Tianchang County. During the meal, they got into an apparently heated argument about which one of them was richer.

In order to settle this dispute, one proposed a “cash-burning contest” and they soon started taking out 100-yuan notes and setting them on fire with a lighter at the table. It’s not clear how much cash ended up going up in smoke.

This cash burning duel was captured on video by one of the other party-goers, who uploaded the clip to Chinese social media where it went viral, eventually catching the attention of local authorities.

Throughout history, people have had status symbols. Sometimes, these things have been gold and jewels. But sometimes, they’re a bit weirder. Here are 10 bizarre status symbols from the past.

Tulip Mania

17th century Holland went absolutely crazy for the flower. As the centre of the East Indies trade, the nation’s merchants displayed their new wealth by surrounding their estates with tulip gardens.

Massive Displays Of Sugar

Sugar happened to be a symbol of status in Europe once upon a time. Spreading to Europe from Africa and the Middle East, giant displays of sugar were a kind of reinforcement of wealth and power. Sugar was initially only available to the king, the nobility, the knighthood, and the church.

Long Pointed Shoes

The Crackowe (or poulaine, the name of the pointed tip) was a long pointed shoe popular in the late Middle Ages. The tip was anywhere from six to twenty-four inches in length. As is the case with so many status symbols, these absurd shoes showed that the wearer was wealthy because the impracticality of them proved they didn’t have to do work. 

Louis Vuitton bag replica cake with American dollars overflowing

South African millionaire, Jabulani Ngcobo made a Louis Vuitton bag replica cake with American dollars overflowing from the bag to flaunt his wealth even when the majority of the population suffers from extreme poverty.

1000-rupee note garland

Once Uttar Pradesh former Chief Minister Mayawati wore a garland made of 1000-rupee note, leaders across the political spectrum to flaunt might and wealth and was criticised for it by the opposition.


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