NEWS//Friday 13th in China

If you are superstitious about Friday the 13th, you may want to move to China.

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The number 13 is actually a sign of good fortune in China. Thirteen sounds like a Chinese word for “assured growth” or “definitely vibrant.”

But China has many other numbers that are considered unlucky because they sound like Chinese words that describe things that are unlucky.

• .Four is terribly unlucky. It sounds like the word for ‘death’. House or apartment number rarely contain a four. The same is true for car registration numbers.

• Seven is a yang number and its pronunciation in Chinese is close to the pronunciation of the word meaning ‘gone’ (去qu). Seven also relates to ceremonies that release dead souls from purgatory. At the same time, seven has its adherents. In Mandarin seven sounds like wife, a commodity in short supply these days.

• Some larger numbers are also unlucky. 514 sounds similar to ‘I want to die.’ But 517 sounds like ‘I want a wife,’ which makes it a lucky number for unmarried men.

Sources: Linda Mandarin, ChinaTravel.com