Thousands of Chinese fought at an auction this weekend for the acquisition ... of a "lucky" phone number. The number ends with five 8s, a number considered lucky because the word "eight", in Mandarin, is the same as "prosperity".
More than 5,000 people participated in the auctions which took place on Saturday and Sunday. The famous phone number was eventually sold for a staggering 2.25 million yuan, or $ 300,000.
The Olympics of August 8, 2008
In China, there are many wealthy individuals or businesses who invest in phone numbers considered "lucky" to impress those around them or their customers. The 8, sign of luck and success, is the most sought after number. When Beijing hosted the Olympics in 2008, the opening ceremony officially began on August 8 - so 8/8/08 - at 8:08 a.m.
The least popular number is 4 which, in Mandarin, is pronounced like the word "death". The auction record for a phone number goes to a number ending in eight 7, namesake of the words "rise" and "the essence of life." It had sold 3.91 million yuan.
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