二
Number 2: Pairs, Balance and Double Happiness
Why good things come in twos and how the principle of pairing shapes Chinese life.
四
Number 4: Why It's Avoided in Chinese Culture
The phonetic link that makes 4 the most avoided number in Chinese-speaking communities.
五
Number 5: The Five Elements and the Centre
How five structures Chinese cosmology through Wuxing, directions, colours and flavours.
六
Number 6: Smooth Flow and Good Fortune
The number that sounds like "everything going smoothly" and brings ease to life.
七
Number 7: Togetherness, Qixi and Duality
Romance and mourning in one number - from Chinese Valentine's Day to the 49-day cycle.
八
Number 8: Why It's the Luckiest Number
The phonetic link to prosperity that made 8 the most commercially powerful digit in Chinese culture.
九
Number 9: Longevity, the Emperor and Eternal Power
The highest digit, the emperor's number and the sound that means forever.