Not so lucky 8 for China this year

Chinese custom states that eight is an auspicious number, but misfortunes so far this year have got many thinking that the number may be more of a blessing than a curse. 

The word for eight in Chinese sounds similar to the word for wealth and many see it as bringing good fortune and prosperity.

People pay extra for an eight, whether in mobile phone numbers, car registrations or building addresses, so there were high hopes for 2008, which is also the year Beijing will host the prestigious summer Olympics.

But some superstitious Chinese are having their doubts about the number after last month's devastating earthquake -- one of the worst in China's modern history -- and the snowstorms that crippled most of the country earlier this year, as well as the riots and unrest in Tibetan areas.

"A lot of people are saying perhaps this year is a disaster year and that maybe the Olympics won't go smoothly," Bejing student Lu Ping told Reuters Television.

Two of China's top athletes, hurdler Liu Xiang and basketball player Yao Ming, are injured, and some Chinese are saying that this is further proof that the number eight may be jinxed.

In several online forums, people are using numerology and noting that the digits of the dates of the May 12 earthquake -- 5 and 1 and 2 -- add up to eight.

Some bloggers are also highlighting the fact that the earthquake, which killed thousands and caused widespread devastation, occurred 88 days before the Olympics, which will begin on August 8, 2008, at 8.00 p.m.

Some Chinese astrologers say 2008's misfortunes may stem from the fact that it coincides with the Chinese Year of the Rat, which is considered far from lucky.

"The Year of the Rat is actually a pair of elements which is the earth sitting on water... which means the earth is unstable," said Raymond Lo, a Hong Kong fortune teller.

"So the earthquake is actually occurring because of the unstable earth. Why did it happen in China last month? Last month's feng shui energy is a number five, which means bad luck."

Whether they believe the superstition or not, many in China say they will thank their lucky stars if the rest of the year goes smoothly.