Boomtown China

By KevinIMitton

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3A floor.

In this building there is no 4th floor for the lift to stop.

In China you may know 8 is considered the number of luck and good fortune yet, 4 is connected with misfortune. The number four is pronounced 'si' but the pronunciation for death is also 'si' so 4 is China's equivalent to the number 13. This superstition likewise is often found in Hong Kong, Korea and to a certain extent Japan.

One intriguing thing about this superstition is floors in China use the US style of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 unlike Hong Kong which uses G, 1, 2, 3, 4. Yep, this same floor in nearby Hong Kong would actually be the third floor not the '4th' floor! (Many years ago I had a girlfriend who lived at house number 12A...)

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