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Mabel Lui

Learn the ins and outs of feng shui, villain hitting, and fortunetelling as well as the dos and don’ts for cultivating good luck in our series on Chinese superstitions.
Have you ever wondered why some Hong Kong buildings do not have floors numbered 4 or 13, or why people avoid ordering seven dishes at restaurants?
The answers to such questions lie in long-held Chinese superstitions associated with numbers; certain digits are believed to bring good luck, while others are believed to bring misfortune.
From car registration plates to phone numbers, here are five ways Chinese people seek to maximise their good luck through auspicious numbers.
1. Buildings
In Chinese culture, 4 is associated with misfortune because its pronunciation in Cantonese and Mandarin is similar to that of the word for death.

To avoid bad omens, some property developers in mainland China and Hong Kong “omit” the fourth floor and higher floors containing a 4 (such as the 14th and 24th floors) in their buildings.
The lifts in such buildings display the third floor as normal, but label the actual fourth floor as the fifth.
In addition to skipping the fourth floor, some traditionalists will choose to forgo the 13th floor because 1 plus 3 equals 4, and this makes 13 unlucky.
In contrast, flats on building floors containing the number 8 – which is phonetically similar to “fortune” in Cantonese and Mandarin – and 9 – similar to “longevity” – are highly sought after, as they are said to bring good fortune and wealth to whoever lives on them.
2. Car registration plates
The significance of auspicious numbers in Chinese culture extends to car registration plates, for which lucky number combinations are said to bring prosperity and good luck.

For example, 888 – triple fortune – is a coveted combination because it indicates the potential to get rich again and again. Similarly, 999 – triple longevity – reflects the hope for eternal blessings.
In Hong Kong, lucky car registration plates have historically been sold for high prices.
In 2016, the number plate “28” was sold at auction for HK$18.1 million, a record high price at the time for a Hong Kong registration plate.
Because 2 sounds like “easy” in Cantonese, when the digits 2 and 8 are said together it sounds like “easy to prosper”.
Before that, the licence plate “18” (“definitely will get rich”) was sold at auction for HK$16.5 million in 2008, and the plate “9” (simply “longevity”) was auctioned for HK$13 million in 1994.
3. Phone numbers
Phone numbers represent another way to inject some good fortune in your life, and people look for numerical combinations that reflect certain auspicious phrases.

For instance, the combination 118 is considered propitious. This is because 1 sounds similar to the word for “day” in Cantonese, and so 118 indicates that the owner of the number will gain fortune every day.
A combination like 168 in a phone number is also lucky as 168 indicates “good fortune all the way”. Because 0 sounds similar to “year” in Cantonese, a phone number such as 98016888 can be taken to mean “from the year 1998 onwards, there will be good fortune again and again”.
And while the combination 666 might have evil connotations in the West, it is considered especially lucky in Chinese culture as 6, when repeated, indicates “everything will go smoothly” in Mandarin.
As a result, 666 is viewed as a positive combination in phone numbers.
4. Dining
When it comes to meals, the Chinese tend to avoid serving seven dishes on a table, especially during celebrations, because the number 7 is associated with loss and endings.

Especially in Mandarin, 7 sounds like “to go”, and there is also a ritual of preparing seven courses for a feast during funerals. Mimicking a funeral ritual is said to bring misfortune and portend a future death, so the number 7 is a no-go.
For good luck, one should aim to have an even number of dishes on the table, as there is a general belief in Chinese culture that good things come in pairs.
5. Major events
To maximise their luck, individuals and companies choose auspicious dates for significant events such as weddings and official openings or launches.

For weddings, lucky dates can range widely, as it depends on the couple’s respective birthdays and those of their parents – it is best to consult a feng shui master to determine which wedding dates bring the highest chances of a long, successful marriage.
As for other events, you generally cannot go wrong with dates featuring the number 8. In 2008, the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics began at 8pm on August 8 – a time and date specifically chosen for its auspiciousness.
As part of the ceremony, 2,008 drummers played the fou, an ancient Chinese percussion instrument.


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Chinese culture

Lucky phone numbers and wedding dates to dining don’ts, Chinese numerology superstitions

Law Ting-pong, chairman of Laws Fashion Knitters, and Miss Hong Kong Pauline Yeung Po-ling holding up two licence plates numbered 8 for which Law paid HK$5 mllion at auction in February 1988. Photo: SCMP 

A Chinese luo pan compass used in feng shui. Some numbers are seen as lucky in Chinese culture, while others are believed to be unlucky. We look at five areas to maximise good fortune, including phone numbers and dates for special occasions. Photo: Shutterstock

Floor numbers are taken seriously in Chinese culture, with the fourth floor being “missed out” in many buildings because 4 sounds similar to the word for death in Cantonese and Mandarin. Photo: Shutterstock

A car registration plate auction in Hong Kong. Plates with auspicious number combinations have historically been sold for a pretty penny in the city. Photo: Robert Ng

A stall selling SIM cards attached to different phone numbers in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. The combinations of digits phone numbers contain are believed to determine whether they are lucky or unlucky. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Ordering seven dishes at a restaurant is seen as unlucky in Chinese culture; ordering an even number is seen as better. Photo: Shutterstock

A wedding party gathered in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. Choosing a wedding date can be tricky for Chinese couples as the bride and groom must take into account their birthdays and those of their parents. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Would you live in a ‘haunted’ Hong Kong flat, where someone died an unnatural death?

A view of the supposedly haunted Dragon Lodge on The Peak in Hong Kong. The stigma attached to living in a place where an unnatural death occurred makes it hard to rent or sell them, although deep discounts can work. Photo: Martin Chan

Joseph Ng Goon-lau, who buys and sells dozens of properties linked to unnatural deaths, in one of his flats in Mong Kok. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Inside one of Ng’s “hongza” flats in Mong Kok. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Flower bouquets and fruits placed outside the crime scene of the murder case of model, socialite, and influencer Abby Choi Tin-fung, in Lung Mei Village, Tai Po. Photo: Elson Li

This picture, taken in 2016, shows the building in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, in which Rurik Jutting murdered two women in a rented flat. Photo: Anthony Wallace

A feng shui master’s guide to making your office more productive, and why ‘balance’ is key

Hong Kong feng shui master Thierry Chow designs productive workspaces. She talks to the post about using lighting and colours to achieve balanced energy, and why every space needs a different approach. Photo: Xiaomei Chen


Chow was inspired to become a feng shui designer by her father, feng shui master Chow Hon-ming. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Chow says introducing colourful objects to a workspace can promote creativity and positivity. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

One of numerous buildings in Hong Kong that features a hole in its centre in line with feng shui principles. Hong Kong takes the ancient Chinese practice seriously. Photo: Jelly Tse

Dreams about snakes or wedding dresses? An expert breaks down Chinese dream interpretation

Monita, a Hong Kong-based dream interpretation specialist, breaks down Chinese dream interpretation and its relevance today. Photo: Instagram/_hungpage_

The meaning of one’s dreams have been a source of intrigue since ancient times in China and everywhere. Photo: Shutterstock

Monita is a dream interpretation specialist in Hong Kong. Photo: @_hungpage_

Dream therapy can be a source of healing for clients, helping them understand their traumas and suppressed emotions. Photo: @_hungpage_

Monita advises that dream interpretation, like tarot card reading, should at most give warnings, but not predict someone’s fortune. Photo: @_hungpage_

How British-Chinese lion dancer in documentary stops being shy wearing lion head, uniform

Kelvin Chan practises lion dance in a still from the documentary Heart of the Lion. Photo: Heart of the Lion

Kelvin Chan practises lion dance in a still from Heart of the Lion, an upcoming documentary that explores the topics of identity, belonging and community through the Chinese performing art. Photo: Heart of the Lion

Kelvin Chan performs a lion dance in a still from Heart of the Lion, a new documentary from director Rosanna Lee. Photo: Heart of the Lion

Chan trained in Chinese martial arts in London. Photo: Heart of the Lion

Filmmaker Rosanna Lee (right) with Chan at the M+ museum of visual culture in Hong Kong. Photo: Edmond So

Chan as a child playing with a smaller version of a lion’s head. Photo: Courtesy of Kelvin Chan

Chan (centre) practises martial arts at the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall in Fanling, Hong Kong. Photo: Louise Tse

Lifestyle

Arts & Culture

Chinese superstitions

Chinese pregnancy food superstitions and traditions, from eating dog heads to no coffee

Eating a white-haired dog’s head was said to ensure an easy birth in Chinese lore. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese people have many traditions and superstitions about what to eat and not eat during pregnancy, some based on traditional Chinese medicine. Photo: Shutterstock

One superstition in Hangzhou was that women should use a small rice bowl for their evening meal to “prevent the fetal head from being too large”. Photo: Shutterstock

Fried crab at Hee Kee Crab General in Causeway Bay. Some believe that ingredients such as snake, prawn and crab should be avoided. Photo Paul Yeung

Women are told to avoid inky ingredients like black sesame to prevent giving birth to a baby with a darker complexion. Photo: Shutterstock

Yuki Maryrose Leung with her husband, Spencer, and son Liam. Leung did not follow a lot of the advice circulating among the Chinese community when it came to what not to eat. Photo: Anna Maria Studio

Patricia Chan, also known as Aunty Pat, is a confinement nurse trained in Hong Kong. Photo: Patricia Chan

Post-partum recovery teas consist of ingredients such as goji berries, red dates and Chinese herbs. Photo: Shutterstock

Post-partum women are encouraged to eat more heating foods to bring their bodies back into equilibrium and bathe with ginger water. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese funeral customs to pay respects to the dead, from what to wear to why age is key

A red wooden coffin at a Chinese funeral. Photo: Shutterstock

A Chinese funeral in Thailand. In Chinese communities around the world, there are many superstitions surrounding death and the mourning process. We look at some that ensure respect is shown and bad luck is avoided. Photo: Shutterstock

In Chinese culture, mirrors are traditionally removed from a person’s home after they die, to prevent their soul from searching in vain for its reflection. Photo: Shutterstock

Paper money and other items made out of joss paper are burned at Taoist funerals to aid the deceased in the afterlife. Photo: Shutterstock

Paper servants, to be burnt as offerings during a Taoist funeral, in Hung Hom, Hong Kong. Photo: Antony Dickson

Hong Kong’s ‘Ghost King’ on chasing spirits, his radio gigs and being a supernatural dud

Radio show host and ghost hunter Edmond Poon talks to the Post about collecting spooky stories. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Poon is the host of long-running online paranormal programme Twilight Online. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Poon on the set of his ViuTV show Talker: One Beside You. Photo: Edmond Poon

Poon uses a ghost-hunting app while seeking spirits. Photo: Edmond Poon

Poon sees himself first and foremost as a programme host. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

How to talk to the dead explained by a Chinese spirit medium in Hong Kong

Chinese spirit medium Lawrence Leung. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Chinese spirit medium Lawrence Leung says he learned to contact the dead after practising Luk Yam Taoism - one of two branches of Taoism in Hong Kong that mainly deal with spirits and ghosts. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Lawrence Leung says ghosts in Southeast Asia are stronger than those in Hong Kong. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Leung says it is harder for ghosts and spirits to bother people who have done a lot of good deeds and have good intentions. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Leung says he once saw the ghost of an obese woman sitting on a bed in a Nyonya house in Malaysia with both her arms around the necks of two weaker ghosts. Illustration: Henry Wong

5 films about Chinese superstitions, from hopping vampires to ghosts to curses

A still from The Eye (2002), one of five films we look at whose narratives draw on Chinese superstition and the supernatural. 

5 Hong Kong film set superstitions, from rites to lucky red envelopes for death scenes

Andy Lau Tak-wah in a scene from the film Fat Choi Spirit. Actors in a death scene are given red envelopes contaning money to dispel bad luck. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

The cutting open of a roasted pig is considered part and parcel of starting a new TV production. Photo: Sam Tsang

Death scene performers get lai see, or red envelopes, to dispel bad juju after filming. Photo: Shutterstock 

When filming in nature and at abandoned sites, a film crew will invite a shaman to perform rites to ask nearby spirits to kindly not to disrupt their process. Photo: Shutterstock

What is villain hitting? Voodoo-like Chinese practice is not as sinister as it sounds

A practitioner performs a villain-hitting ritual in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Fortune-tellers break down the practice and explain its history. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Tong Pik-ha, also known as Master Tong, is a feng shui master. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Andrew Kwan is a feng shui master. Photo: Andrew Kwan

A practitioner performs a villain hitting ceremony for a client in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

Villain hitting in Causeway Bay. There are three groups of people – pregnant women, children and the elderly – that cannot be the target of villain hitting. Photo: Jonathan Wong

A practitioner performs villain hitting in Causeway Bay. The practice is mostly seen in Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

5 tips to avoid ghosts in your hotel, from knocking before entering to covering mirrors

We offer a few ways to avoid disturbing the spirits when you are travelling, even if your hotel is haunted like the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles is said to be. Photo: Reuters

A still from security camera footage showing Elisa Lam Ho-yi entering a lift in the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles, where she died in unexplained circumstances in 2013. Photo: YouTube

Firefighters found Lam’s body inside a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel (also called the Hotel Cecil). Photo: Reuters

The inside of the Grand Hyatt Taipei hotel, which is said to be haunted. Photo: Shutterstock

The exterior of the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Inside, disembodied children’s voices have been reported in its corridors. Photo: Facebook/Grand Hyatt Taipei

The lobby of the Bangkok Palace Hotel, which also has a reputation for being haunted. Photo: Facebook/Bangkok Palace Hotel

Viral TikTok videos from Singaporean architect bring feng shui to a whole new audience

Singaporean architect Cliff Tan in a still from one of his Instagram videos. Photo: Instagram/dearmodern

Singaporean architect Cliff Tan in a still from one of his Instagram videos. Tan has earned millions of followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube with his quirky viral videos that feature feng shui tips. Photo: Instagram/dearmodern

The “before” of a Hong Kong flat (the “after” is below) with seemingly no other possible layout. Photo: Cliff Tan

The “after” of the flat. “We changed it completely and made the space so much more spacious and natural,” Tan says. Photo: Cliff Tan

Tan founded his own practice, Design Modern, in 2016. Photo: Cliff Tan 

Tan’s clients come from all over the world. Photo: Cliff Tan

Numbers bring luck and misfortune in Chinese tradition. We look at the digits coveted and avoided, from building floors to car number plates


The meanings attached to numbers in Chinese culture explain why some people pay millions of dollars for certain car licence plates and some buildings don’t have a fourth floor. We delve into the superstitions.


Hong Kong culture

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Explainer

Explainer | Lucky phone numbers and wedding dates to dining don’ts, Chinese numerology superstitions

Numbers bring luck and misfortune in Chinese tradition. We look at the digits coveted and avoided, from building floors to car number plates

1. Buildings