29 Things You Should Never Do In Hong Kong

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Avoid Superstitious Numbers

Source: http://www.todayifoundout.com

The number “four” is considered unlucky in Hong Kong because its pronunciation in Cantonese sounds like “death.” The locals’ beliefs are based on homonyms and words that rhyme with concepts associated with misfortune are avoided. Because of this, it is common to find buildings in the city missing floors or rooms numbered with anything containing “4.” Aside from the single digit, “14” sounds like “definite death” and “24” sounds like “easy death,” so don’t be surprised to find these elevator buttons absent in residential buildings or commercial centers. There are also numerical combinations that indicate bad luck. In Cantonese, “5354” sounds like “not alive, not dead,” and this refers to the limbo between life and death. “9413” is homophonous to the phrase “90 percent dead, 10 percent alive” which Hongkongers find ominous. The number “five” sounds like “me” in Cantonese, so “54” is homophonous to “my death” and “514” denotes “I want to die.” So, avoid the number “4” and instead choose auspicious even numbers particularly “8” which is considered the luckiest number in Chinese culture.