USPICIOUS CHINA

Auspicious numbers play an important role in Chinese culture. The fortune or lack thereof associated with certain numbers is derived from the word that each number sounds like within the spoken Chinese language. Although it is believed by many that the auspicion of numbers is largely based on superstition, people will often go to great lengths to obtain phone numbers, addresses, floor preference in multi-story buildings, driver’s license and vehicle plate numbers, as well as bank account numbers considered to be lucky. People have been known to pay large sums of money to choose numbers that reflect these cultural beliefs.

THE LUCKY
TWO:  The number two holds a good association in Chinese culture because of a well-known saying that "good things come in pairs." Therefore the symbol for two is often used in branding placed in front of the product name to reflect this saying.

THREE:  The number three is considered to be a lucky number because the word for three sounds similar to the word for birth.

FIVE:  The number five shares a common association with the five fundamental elements found in Chinese philosophy: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. The number has forever shared a historical association with the Emperor because of its philosophical references. This is evident in such Imperial architecture as Tiananmen gate, which stands above five arched openings leading to the Imperial Palace.

SIX:  Associated with happiness, the number six is thought to be good when used in connection with business. The number also sounds similar to the Chinese word for fluid, therefore thought to help businesses progress continuously and smoothly.

SEVEN:  The number seven possesses the unique characteristic that it is regarded as lucky in both Eastern and Western cultures. In Chinese the number represents togetherness and is therefore often associated with relationships.

EIGHT:  Because of its similar tonality to the word meaning prosper or wealth, the number eight is highly auspicious in Chinese culture. The use of double eights (88) is also associated with a visual reference meaning “double joy” that is composed of two stylized characters representing joy and happiness.

NINE:  Regarded for its tonal reference to the word meaning “long lasting,” the number nine is often used in reference to weddings. Because of its significance as the greatest single digit number, nine has historically been used in conjunction with the Emperor and found throughout Chinese mythology.

THE UNLUCKY
FOUR:  Bearing a striking homophonic resemblance to the word “death”, the number four is considered to be inauspicious in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures. Because of this similarity the number four is often skipped in product lines or building floors in multi-story structures. High-rise buildings will sometimes go as far to skip all floors containing the number four, removing the 4th, 14th, 24th, 34, and 40th floors to avoid any reference to the unlucky number. The number 14 is considered to be one of the least lucky numbers because when spoken it sounds similar to “ten die” or “want to die”.