Plum blossom piles are said to have originated in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, flourished in the late Ming Dynasty and spread widely during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty.

Pile arrangement modes include Beidou pile, Samsung pile, starry sky pile, plough pile and gossip pile.

There are five potentials: general trend, homeopathy, depression, small trend and defeat. The routine is irregular, flowing, changeable, fast and not chaotic.