The number '7' in China is both good and bad. The meaning of numbers in Chinese tradition

Hello Spark! My name is Dmitry and I am the founder of a small niche portal about Chinese technology Galagram.com. This is a site where news and reviews of Chinese gadgets are published. Today I would like to tell you about 7 Chinese smartphones that can compete with new products from Apple - iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

In this article, we will skip the debate over which is better than iOS and Android; we will consider smartphones with their own Android shells. And so, let's go!

1 Xiaomi Mi5S Plus

• two main cameras
• beautiful MIUI 8 shell
• affordable price

It's no secret that the Apple iPhone 7 Plus was the first smartphone with two main cameras. But the Chinese got in on the act and just recently released the Xiaomi Mi5S Plus phablet, which also has two main Sony cameras of 13 megapixels each and a large 5.7" display. The smartphone uses two sensors: RGB color and b/w, the final photo is of high quality, both in color rendition and contrast.

As for other characteristics of the smartphone, it is powered by a Snapdragon 821 processor (exactly the same as in the new Google Pixel phones) and has 6/128 GB of RAM and flash memory in the top version. At the same time, Mi5S Plus costs only - $389 in the Celestial Empire.

2 LeEco Le Pro 3

• lack of 3.5 mm audio output
• big battery
• powerful filling

Another worthy alternative to the Apple iPhone 7/7 Plus from the Chinese company LeEco (formerly LeTV). This device is also equipped with a Snapdragon 821 chipset with a core clock speed of 2.35 GHz and does not have a 3.5 mm audio output, like the latest flagship from Apple. Headphones in LeEco Le Pro 3 connect directly to the universal double-sided USB Type-C connector.

The thickness of the smartphone is only 7.5 mm, while a 4070 mAh battery is located inside. The display diagonal is the same as the older iPhone 7 Plus - 5.5" inches with Full HD resolution and a dot density per square inch of 401 ppi. LeEco Le Pro 3 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS with EUI 5.8 shell. Chinese price for the top version of the smartphone amounts to - $450.

3 Huawei P9/P9 Plus

• two main cameras with Leica optics
• premium case
• fast fingerprint scanner

The main feature of the Huawei P9 smartphone and its older version P9 Plus is the presence of two main cameras with Leica optics. Their operating principle is the same as that of Xiaomi Mi5S Plus. The phone is equipped with a beautiful metal body, only 7 mm thick, as well as all the fashionable features like a fingerprint scanner, a modern USB Type-C port and Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS. Huawei P9 is powered by a proprietary HiSilicon Kirin 955 processor. The cost of the device in China is approx. 400 dollars.

4 Meizu Pro 6

• pressure-sensitive 3D Press display
• its own proprietary Flyme 6 shell
• case like iPhone 7

Meizu Pro 6 cannot be called a top-end flagship; it is rather a balanced mid-ranger with a beautiful design. The device was released earlier than the iPhone 7/7 Plus, but the Meizu Pro 6 body has the same shape of antennas as those of Apple smartphones.

The display here is Super AMOLED with a diagonal of 5.2" inches, something between the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. The screen is also the main feature of the smartphone; it is pressure sensitive. Meizu called this technology 3D Press, The naming somewhat reminds us of Apple Force Touch. The cost of the smartphone in stores is approximately 310-340 dollars.

5 Xiaomi Mi5S

• Pressure-sensitive 3D Touch display
• ultrasonic fingerprint scanner
• own MIUI 8 shell

This is the junior version in the line of new flagships, which received a 5.15-inch display with Full HD resolution and is pressure sensitive, like the iPhone 7. The heart of the smartphone is the most advanced Snapdragon 821 processor from Qualcomm today. The top version has 4 gigabytes of LPDDR4 RAM and 128 GB of flash memory. The main feature of the device is the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which is located directly on the glass under the display.

The smartphone runs MIUI 8 OS, which is based on Android M. The shell is so similar to iOS that users hardly notice the difference. At the same time, the smartphone costs as much as half an iPhone 7 - $345 in China.

6 OnePlus 3

• convenient Oxygen OS shell
• incredible 6 GB of RAM
• balanced characteristics

OnePlus is loved by geeks all over the world. Their latest flagship OnePlus 3 is aimed at a wider audience than all previous smartphones from the manufacturer. The phone has a nice design, a metal body and a 5.5-inch Full HD display.

OnePlus 3 runs on its proprietary air OS - Oxygen OS 3.2.4, which is based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The heart of the device is the well-proven Snapdragon 820 chipset from Qualcomm, and 6/64 GB of memory is available. The cost of OnePlus 3 today is approximately - $399.

7 Vivo X7/X7 Plus

• 16 MP front and front cameras
• 5.2/5/7 inch display to choose from
• there is a microSD slot for memory cards

Vivo is often called the Chinese Apple due to its wild popularity in China. The latest flagships X7 and X7 Plus have excellent cameras that can compete with the iPhone 7. 16 MP sensors are used in both the main camera and the front one. Vivo X7/X7 Plus can be confidently called one of the best selfie phones today.

The screen of the younger model has a diagonal of 5.2" inches, and the older one has a diagonal of 5.7" inches. Both devices run on Snadpragon 652 processors and have slots for microSD memory cards. Issue price - 400 dollars for the younger version.

We hope you liked the selection. Perhaps someone already uses the listed models, do you think this is a worthy alternative to the iPhone 7 - tell us in the comments!

The Chinese have an ancient belief that some numbers can bring happiness and good luck, while others are full of negative energy. Good or bad luck is explained by the sound of numbers in Chinese.

Yin and Yang

Even and odd numbers

It is believed that even numbers are used to depict and preserve yang (masculine) energy, which is active. Odd numbers are identified with yin (feminine energy). It is considered passive and the opposite of yang. The two energies combine to accumulate chi energy.

Definition of Chinese lucky numbers

The way to recognize lucky and unlucky numbers was developed in Chinese culture based on the sound of numbers. Three of the most auspicious Chinese numbers are considered to be six, eight and nine, although the latter is odd.

Gifts with numbers

Numbers play an extremely important role when choosing a gift in China. When it comes to gift giving, the Chinese are again guided by the choice of a specific number.

Number two: luck in love

Two is a number that symbolizes the unification of yin and yang energies. When these two opposing energies are balanced, understanding is achieved. Thus, the second number means union, which creates harmony. In accordance with this philosophy, the Chinese decorate a wedding with paired items such as candles, pillows, rings, gifts and other attributes. According to legend, this custom brings good luck.

In the practice of Feng Shui, placing paired objects or paintings attracts the luck that number two can bring you. To ensure a happy marriage, couples are advised to place two tangerines in the master bedroom. For a couple seeking to have children, the number two plays an important role in feng shui applications.

A couple of photos of pomegranates, which are considered lucky fruits, will bring good luck to married people trying to conceive.

Another lucky object for a married couple is the dragon. It is recommended to install statues or hang two paintings of dragons at the head of the bed to activate procreation.

Number four: an unlucky number symbolizing death

In Chinese culture, almost all numbers are considered auspicious, with the exception of four. There are many reasons to designate numbers as lucky or unlucky. In the case of number four, everything is explained quite simply: the name of the number itself is similar to the Chinese word for death. Therefore, the number four is considered to have the same energy and properties.

If you live in house number 4 or your family consists of four people, then Feng Shui practice advises drawing a circle around the house number so that the number transforms in a circle.

Number six

The number six can help a person move calmly through life and overcome any obstacles. There are six objects you can use to ensure your success in navigating dangerous waters. Six Chinese coins are often tied together with a red ribbon and symbolize the prosperity of the home. Sometimes they are stored inside the wallet to ensure the receipt of funds.

Number eight

Interestingly, the number eight symbolizes infinity and is considered fateful. Many people use the number eight in different areas of life to attract good luck. Some people draw a figure eight and carry it in their wallets to attract financial success.

Odd numbers can be lucky

While odd numbers are not considered lucky, this does not mean that they are always unlucky. Odd numbers are associated with certain negative emotions.

Number seven

For example, seven is a number associated with rejection and anger. It can also symbolize separation. It all depends on how and where it is interpreted.

Number nine

Nine is an odd number, which often has positive energy. The number nine is also identified with eternity and long life. It depends on how it is used and in what context it is applied.

In ancient China, the number nine was associated with the imperial court. In the imperial palace you can find nine dragon walls. In the Imperial Palace building in Beijing you will see 9999 rooms.

Modern Chinese still use lucky numbers. It is no coincidence that when the venue for the Olympic Games was China, the date chosen for the start of sports competitions was 08.08.2008, and for the start time of the games - 8:08:08 P.M.

Numbers play a huge role in life for the Chinese, largely because people encounter numbers all the time, often live with them and use them for a long time. It is not in vain, apparently, that numerological systems arose in many cultures.

It's no surprise that the numbers we use every day influence us. After all, constantly encountering some number, we seem to “identify with it,” for example, with the number of our apartment, car or telephone. And if the number with which we have identified means something positive, this positive comes in

our lives and vice versa, the negative meaning of numbers can bring problems to life.

In general, numbers play a very important role in life for the Chinese, largely because people encounter numbers all the time, often live with them and use them for a long time.

Unlike the numerological systems of other cultures, the Chinese system does not add numbers together, but rather considers the meaning and symbolism of each of them separately. This is also facilitated by the Chinese language, in which, due to the presence of four tones, there are a huge number of homonyms. One word pronounced with different intonation will mean different things. Taking advantage of the similarity in the sound of different words, the Chinese connected the meaning of abstract concepts with more visual things, such as numbers or objects around us.

For example, "eight" sounds like "ba" in Chinese, which is similar to the word for "get rich," which sounds like "fa." Three eights “ba-ba-ba” mean the same as “fa-fa-fa”: prosperity. Since the concepts of “getting rich” and “prosperity” are abstract, they cannot be touched with your hands and cannot be seen. But it is quite possible to draw an eight and use it in life to constantly remind yourself of the opportunities to live, getting rich and prosperous. Of course, the symbolism of numbers is not exactly Feng Shui, however, we have already talked about symbols, and we will also touch on this topic, talking about Feng Shui analogies. Since we are talking about improving the quality of our lives, why not use the simple method of symbolizing numbers if it costs us nothing?

Knowing the meaning of the numbers, we can choose for ourselves not only a favorable feng shui house, but also pay attention to the house number and apartment number. We can also take into account the meaning of numbers when choosing a telephone number, a car, a credit card, a bank account, and so on... Just as we gradually become identified with our home or car, we become identified with its number, which, one way or another, affects us bringing us success or failure.

So, unit means "the unity of all." The number series begins with it, thus symbolizing “beginning” and “unity”. It portends honor, leadership and consistency in development. Also, a unit represents a certain unified principle: it unites something under its single principle. The Chinese view the number one as a symbol of “heavenly guidance,” so if your house number begins with it or you live in house number one, it means that it was chosen by you “under the guidance of heaven.”

Just as we gradually become identified with our home or car, we become identified with its number, which, one way or another, influences us, bringing us success or failure.

Deuce denotes a couple: two principles, balance and interaction between two opposites - yin and yang, man and woman. Therefore, we can say that the two means interaction, easy movement, it symbolizes partnership and creativity. Two also means doubling, it is the number of cooperation. A popular Chinese proverb says that “happiness comes in two,” and in wedding ceremonies there is always a place for the character that means “double happiness.”

Troika- this is the result of the interaction of two principles. Three makes everything possible, it is the number of luck and success, and is also a special spiritual number. The book of the I Ching says that the three unites heaven, earth and man. When the Chinese bow at Buddhist temples with smoldering incense sticks, they always do so three times. It means the growth of something newly emerged, its development.

Four- a number of material order, the geometric appearance of the square symbolizes the physical world, the earth, and the round roof symbolizes the sky. However, four means four possible directions of movement without a center to balance them. Therefore, it can symbolize drastic changes, changes, or that moment when you seem to be standing at a crossroads and must choose some new direction in life. For the Chinese, four also means "death" because it sounds like "sy", which is very similar to "sy", meaning "death". But for us, Chinese characters and their sound mean nothing, so we probably shouldn’t perceive the four so negatively. We can say that death is also a kind of change, the point of a person’s transition from one state to another.

Five– the middle of the digital series (from 1 to 9), it means the center, the middle, reflects the balance of the five elements. She is also associated with five blessings - longevity, prosperity, health, love of a virtuous life and natural death. In the five, a balancing center appears between the four directions, which represents a stable situation, the harmony of all energies. However, in some systems, for example, in the Flying Stars system, which we will talk about below, the five is perceived as an ominous star, so it is perceived negatively.

Six sounds like “Liu”, which in some dialects means “salary, good wishes for career growth.” The sound of six in Chinese is also similar to the word for "flow". Therefore, six is ​​considered a very favorable number.

Seven in European numerology means a lucky number because it is believed that God created the Earth in 7 days. Not only the West, but also China are fascinated by this figure, which sounds similar to “confidence.” Buddhists believe in seven reincarnations and seven weeks of mourning after death.

Eight is considered a very auspicious number in China, as it means freedom to move in all eight directions, which opens up additional opportunities for a person to move forward. This is an octagon, or eight trigrams (bagua) of the Book of Changes - a very auspicious shape that is often used in feng shui. In general, the number eight signifies opportunities and resources coming from all directions. The Chinese also associate it with prosperity and abundance, since the sound of the number eight in Chinese, “ba,” is similar to “fa,” which means “to get rich.” This is one of the most beloved numbers by the Chinese; many company phones end with 8.

Nine- the most senior digit of the digital series, it means something older, adult, and therefore wise and guiding. This is the last, final stage of everything, fullness. Therefore, nine is responsible for longevity, for the duration of something. Being the last in the digital series, it contains the characteristics of all other numbers. Nine is complete in itself and does not need any other number to be perfect. This is also the number of cells in the sacred Lo Shu scheme, which we will talk about later. The ancient Chinese believed that nine was the largest number accessible to man, and 10 and above belonged to heaven. In Ancient China, nine was considered the imperial number, maybe that’s why many leaders today love the number 999 so much? China in ancient times was divided into nine provinces, in the Beijing Imperial Palace there are 9999 rooms, the lines of rivets on each door were drawn in such a way that no matter what line you take, vertical or horizontal, the number of rivets in it is always 9.

To interpret a multi-digit number, you need to consider the meaning of its digits. In China, the number 168 is common, here “1”, “6”, “8” sounds like “yaoluba”, which means: “straight road to prosperity”. You may have come across a book with the title: “168 Feng Shui Tips”; its title uses this number, beloved by the Chinese.

Typically, if a number has multiple digits, the last one or two digits are the most important, as this is what one is going for. We can say that when interpreting a multi-digit number, we go from the meaning of the first digits to the meaning of the last ones. So, for example, the number 359 means: 3 – “light movement”, 5 – “through harmony”, 9 – “for a long time”. But even though the number 13 can be interpreted as heavenly guidance (1) leading to spiritual growth (3), the Chinese do not like it. After all, if you add up his numbers, the result is a four, which means “death” for them.

This basic knowledge of Chinese numerology can be used when choosing any numbers and numbers with which we will live. To do this, you need to interpret the meaning of the numbers, all or the last, and decide for yourself whether you want them to have the corresponding influence on you. Of course, as discussed in the chapter on symbols, numbers affect us in the way we perceive them. What is clear to the Chinese from birth may not always be clear to the Russian cultural environment. Therefore, we must remember that the influence of any numbers directly depends on their collective or personal interpretation. If you subjectively perceive the number 13 as something good, it will only affect you positively.

If, despite not knowing Chinese, you are worried and want to correct the four in your apartment number, use the following approach. For example, add a small letter “a” to the number 4 on your door, then in Chinese it will sound “sya”, which is not at all similar to “death”. Another way is to enclose the number on the apartment door in a circle, then the energy of the four will remain within the circle. After all, a circle, as you know, is a Metal that concentrates energy inside and does not release it outside. Draw a circle around the four on your door and sleep well.

Once I met a friend arriving from China at the Moscow airport. Getting into my car, the first thing he did was look at the registration numbers and commented: “No self-respecting Chinese would ever allow such a combination of numbers to be put on his car!” I didn’t attach any significance to this phrase, and only remembered it when I was dictating my Moscow mobile phone number to a friend. “What a number, nothing but misfortune!” - followed his comment. “Listen, don’t you attach a lot of importance to the numbers of your car and telephone number?” - I asked him. He looked at me in surprise: “All residents of China take numbers very seriously, especially combinations of numbers: after all, they can serve both well and quite the opposite.” He looked around critically: “But your fellow citizens, I see, are not paying attention to this at all.” I became interested and asked to tell you in more detail - how do the Chinese numbers differ from the Russian ones? And that's what I heard.

Since ancient times, the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire have been listening carefully to the magic of the numbers and numbers around them. The luckiest numbers are three, six and nine. The Chinese try to tie all important dates to these dates: they celebrate weddings, go on trips, plan significant purchases... They even give gifts in exactly the same quantity: 3, 6 or 9.

And now - about the symbolism of individual numbers in China.

One

According to ancient Chinese knowledge, in the beginning (at the very beginning) there was the Great Limit - something single, a whole.
The Great Limit, having divided, laid the foundation for Yin and Yang - the feminine and masculine essence, the dual unity.
Yin-Yang, in turn, formed the five Primary Elements of all things: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water.

The great Chinese sage and philosopher Lao Tzu mentioned in his writings the number one as the primary source of everything.

One is the sign of the Sun, Sky, a “male” number.

Two

There is a saying in China: “Good things come in pairs.”
And indeed:

• Right and left;
• Up and down;
• Beginning and the end;
• Good and evil;
• Life and death.

You can continue endlessly. And all these opposites are united by the number two.

Two is the sign of the Earth, the Moon, a “feminine” number.

Three

Phonetically, the Chinese pronunciation of "three" ("san") resembles "birth".
Three is a symbol of a triad, for example “Yin-Tzu-Yang” (feminine - child - masculine). In China, there are many set expressions, proverbs and sayings that use the number “three”, for example: “san sy er xin”, which can be translated into Russian as “measure seven times, cut once”.

Three is a masculine number, a sign of the Sun, a sign of Man.

Four

The Chinese consider the number four to be unlucky because its sound in Chinese ("sy") is similar to the word for "death."
Therefore, in China, many buildings do not have the fourth floor, and telephone and car license plates are missing the series beginning with this number.

The ancient Chinese imagined the earth as a square with four sides, and China was called the “Middle State” located in the center.

Four is a symbol of the Earth, a “feminine” number.

Five

The number five in the minds of the Chinese is closely associated with the five primordial elements: water, fire, earth, wood and metal.
This symbolism dates back to ancient times, from the Chinese emperors: the main gate of the country in the capital of China, the city of Beijing, the gate to the “forbidden city” in Tiananmen Square has five arches.
Returning again to the works of Lao Tzu, let us quote his statements about the number five: “Five colors delight the sight, five sounds delight the ear, five tastes delight the stomach.”

Five is a “masculine” number, symbolizing Yang.

Six

Chinese residents consider the number six to be extremely favorable for business.
This figure, in their opinion, clearly describes all directions of the surrounding world: north, south, west, east, up, down.
This number also clearly describes the six human emotions: love, joy, fun, anger, grief, hatred.

Six is ​​a “male” number in China, highly revered, “lucky”.

Seven

For Chinese people, the number seven symbolizes unity. In this country, there are many wonderful fairy tales and legends in which this number is actively heard: “Meeting of Lovers” (7th day, in the 7th month), “Seven Fairies”. According to the Chinese, on the seventh day the soul of the deceased says goodbye to this world and moves to another.
By the way, this number is also unique in that it is happy and favorable not only in the minds of the people of China, but also in most Western cultures.

Seven is a “male”, “yang” number.

Eight

"Eight" - "Ba" in Chinese pronunciation sounds similar to the word that means "prosperity" or "wealth". Needless to say, the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire respect and appreciate this figure. In China, the Eight Moral Principles of Confucius and the Eight Attributes of the Eight Immortal Taoists are remembered and observed.

Eight is a “feminine”, “Yin” number. Despite this, in mystical numerology, it is closely connected with the life of a man, which, according to ancient beliefs, is divided into 8-year segments.

Nine

The number nine in the minds of the Chinese is closely associated with emperors: government officials took exams, the results of which were divided into nine ranks, there were nine imperial awards for those who distinguished themselves; The emperor's clothes were often decorated with nine dragons (and, by the way, in Chinese mythology it was believed that a dragon has nine children). The number nine in this country symbolizes harmony.
In the Book of Changes, the number 3 x 3 (that is, nine) is called lucky. The state of China itself historically has nine regions. The capital of the empire, Beijing, was divided into nine parts according to Feng Shui philosophy.

Nine is the most significant “masculine” number.

And a few more words about the symbolism of number combinations.

28 : "double prosperity"

38 : “triple prosperity”, a symbol of great luck in material terms

167, 169, 1679 : In Hong Kong, due to the similarity of pronunciation to an obscene phrase, these combinations of numbers are extremely offensive (in Cantonese)

250 : In Chinese, "250" can mean "idiot" if read in a certain sense

5354 : “neither alive nor dead,” on the verge of death; the combination of numbers 9413 also has a similar meaning

1314 : symbol of unification, “one life, one death”, “only death will separate us”

521: "I love you"

748 : this combination of numbers can be translated into Russian as “I saw you in the coffin.”

any combination of numbers 5 in Chinese internet slang means sadness, crying.

“Are you on Facebook?” - such a phrase will cause a strong reaction from the Chinese, and sometimes he simply will not understand you, since access to such popular Western social networks as Facebook, Twitter and others is blocked. It has its own social networks, whose audience numbers tens of millions of users. So the Chinese are no exception, and they also like, repost and post photos of their food online.

• As of January 2015, there were 642 million users in the PRC (excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau), or 21.4% of the world figure
• Chinese internet users have registered 629 million social media accounts (47% of Chinese population - still room to grow)
• China also accounts for a third of all mobile Internet users: China is the land of mobile phones - they already account for 41 percent of the total Chinese population

7 most popular social services in China:

1.Qzone

The social network Qzone is the brainchild of the Internet company Tencent. It is the third social network in the world in terms of the number of users (only surpassed by Facebook And YouTube). As of the beginning of 2014, 625 million people were registered on the network.

Created in 2005, it primarily allows users to write their own blogs, create online diaries, watch videos, listen to music and post photos. Fortunately for marketers, this is where all famous brands can promote their products and services through so-called fan pages.

In Qzone you can change the design to your taste. But only basic functions in Qzone are free, and all additional services are provided on a paid basis. To purchase such services, you must obtain Yellow Diamond status, a kind of premium subscription.

Registration in Qzone

150 million Qzone users update their personal page at least once a month.

2.

As an instant messaging service, similar to ICQ, QQ offers universal web communication functions: instant messaging, voice and video chat, file sharing with other users, and a machine translation service.

The program was introduced in 1999 by Tencent and is the “great-grandfather” of Chinese social media. It has since evolved to include features such as apps, music, online shopping and microblogging. According to official data from Tencent, the number of active users of this service is about 300 million people. To stay on trend, the Chinese company also introduced the Mobile QQ application, designed for use on mobile platforms. After its appearance on mobile platforms, the QQ Wallet mobile payment service became available, allowing users to pay for online purchases. In addition to the main Chinese version of the program, there is a version in English - QQ International.

QQ is not used for cold selling, but the vast majority of commercial sites have a button that allows you to contact a consultant or sales manager using QQ.

Registration in QQ

If you are especially fluent in Chinese, you can easily change the language to English, which will greatly simplify the registration process. In addition, you have the choice of registering using a mobile phone or using email