Numbers and Colors of Ancient China
Ancient Chinese society gave a lot of significance to numbers and colors and valued their use. Some were thought to be fortunate, while others were thought to be unlucky and need to be avoided. Some were so unique that they were saved just for the emperor.
Numbers
The Chinese of antiquity valued numbers. They avoided using unlucky numbers and frequently used lucky numbers in their structures and designs.
Positive Numbers
Two is a fortunate number. Chinese decorators frequently work in couples. Additionally, they have the proverb “good things come in pairs”.
Three – The sound that the number three makes with the Chinese word for “birth” makes it lucky. Additionally, it plays a significant role in Buddhism, which emphasizes the existence of three “realms of existence,” “three roots of evil,” and “three bodies of the Buddhas.”
Five – The Five Elements of Chinese philosophy, which are fire, water, earth, metal, and wood, make the number five lucky.
Eight – Because the Chinese word for “eight” sounds similar to the term for prosperity, eight is regarded as the lucky number. People in China are still willing to pay more for an address or phone number that contains the number 8.
Nine: Nine is considered lucky since it resembles the word “long life.” It frequently evokes images of the emperor and dragons. In China today, the name “Nine Dragons” is used frequently for companies and sites.
Six and seven are likewise seen as fortunate numbers.
Unlucky numbers
Four – The number four is unlucky because it has a “death”-like sound. In China, it is still avoided. For phone numbers and addresses, people tend to avoid using the number 4. Many structures skip the floors that have the numbers 4, 14, and 24 altogether. The floors 40 to 49 won’t even be present in some towers.
Fourteen – Because it sounds like “want to die” in Chinese, the number fourteen is extremely unlucky.
Colors
Red, black, green, white, and yellow are the five fundamental colors in Chinese culture.
Red – Summer, fire, and the south are all associated with the color red. It stands for prosperity, joy, and success. When there is a celebration, such as a wedding or birthday, red is frequently the color utilized.
Black – Water, winter, and the north are all represented by the color black. It is also known as the color of heaven, and Emperor Qin, the first Chinese emperor, declared it to be his favorite.
Green – The color green represents the east, the spring, and wood.
White – White symbolizes metal, the changing seasons, and the west. White is not regarded as a lucky hue. When someone passed away, it was worn as the hue of mourning.
Yellow – The color yellow represents the earth, the onset of a new season, and the center. Ancient Chinese emperors and their families were only permitted to wear the unique hue yellow.
Chinese numbers and colors: Interesting Facts
On August 8, 2008, at 8:08 p.m., the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, officially began.
In China, the number 666 is regarded as exceptionally lucky.
For good fortune during Chinese New Year, red envelopes containing money are presented to youngsters in China.
The Ancient Chinese thought that yellow was the most attractive color.
Brown denotes hard work and a solid foundation. Blue is a symbol of immortality.
Weddings frequently employ the number nine because it resembles the Chinese term for “long lasting” in pronunciation.
