The superstitious nature of Hong Kong can be translated in different ways, such as buildings devoid of 4th or 14th floor labels or the serving of noodles during New Year’s Day. But some of these beliefs are blended with commercialism, such as the belief that house on Number 8 street will fetch much greater yield than its equally-prestigous neighbors.
In the case of car plates, in Hong Kong it’s similar to bidding for government auctioned sites for development. A vehicle with 888 plate would definitely fetch thousands, if not millions. Those running out of available plates attractive enough to associate any event – auspicious or not – continue to be creative. For example, 71 means July 1 (Hong Kong’s turnover from Britain to China), 512 (Sichuan Earthquake) or 8964 (Tiananmen Square “events” on June 4, 1989). At a recent car number plates auction at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, some plates with significant meanings were on offer. As the auctioneer chat starts,
“We have plate 8964, a bright shining plate fresh from .. Bidding starts at HK$125,000 ($16,000). $125,000 will you give me $125,000″
Apparently, nobody is willing to spend that amount for a plate that might be barred from entering north of the border. As a result, the plate was removed from the government auction. The outcome isn’t surprising as the car plate combination represents politically sensitive theme.
In the past it has been proven that cars with auspicious plates don’t necessarily supercede the brain quality of drivers. As I said in the past, these numbers don’t mean much to me.
