Beijing (AsiaNews
/ Agencies) - The municipal government of Beijing has produced an ordinance
requiring construction companies to use even "unlucky" numbers in the
numbering of addresses, doors and floors. This
is the first time in the history of modern China that a government has waged a
war on superstition.
In
China, the most unlucky number is the number four, the pronunciation of which is
similar to the word "death." This
is why hospitals everyone tries to avoid bed number 4, or the 4th floor,
wanting to stay alive as much as possible. 4
is avoided in phone numbers, dates of marriage and home addresses. Very
often in buildings the 4th floor does not exist, replaced instead by
a 3B or 5A.
On
the other hand, there are "lucky" numbers that are much sought after
such as the number eight (ba), for example, the sound is similar to
"prosperous" and "rich" and 5 (wu), which indicates
something without limits (wealth,
happiness, etc. ...), nine (qiu) sounds like "enduring, eternal." There
are people who pay extra to get a phone number with a lot of "8's" or
a car plate with "8" and "9".
From
now on residents will be unable to discard bad luck numbers, or search for
luckey ones at all costs.
As
of August 25, every new buildings in the capital must correctly number the
addresses, apartments, floors, blocks and door numbers according to the pure
numerical progression, leaving no room for kabbalistic superstition.
According
to Xinhua, in an internet survey, at least 46% agreed with this directive that
finally undermines the old superstitions. But
a hard core of 22% said that instead the tradition should be respected. The
Chinese government itself, only four years ago, he decided to start the Olympic
Games in Beijing on August 8th (eighth month), at 8:08 in the evening!