Numbers to the Chinese are of vital importance. The Chinese always extend associative meanings to them Even numbers, having the associative meaning of doubleness, are specially favored by the Chinese. You will find when the Chinese order dishes in restaurant, most likely the courses will be even-numbered as four, six, eight, ten or twelve. When a guest comes for visit with fruit, the number will be even-numbered as well. So do the gifts to the newly-weds. When the Chinese buy flats, the even-numbered floors are always the first to be sold out "Eight with its homonym to -fortune" is the most favored number, while "four" with its homonym to "death" is least popular among all the even numbers.

    Some odd-numbers are also favored. The number five is especially significant because it relates to the cornerstone of Chinese culture: the five elements (metal wood, water,fire and earth) of nature. The Chinese classify five tastes (sweet sour, salty, bitter and pungent) and five basic col-ors (red, green, yellow, back and white). The ideal family is having the five-generation under the same roof and the ideal family size is five (three boys and two girls). The number one, as a Chinese idiom goes "one heart and one soul (meaning with undivided attention)", is favored by young lovers. A boy is likely to send one flower to his lover to express his undivided love. Or he will choose to send nine flowers, for nine (jiu), a homonym of the word "forever (jiu)", indicates his love will last forever. Of course, influenced by western culture, thirteen is not welcomed by the Chinese as well.