Anyone traveling on Beijing's Third Ring Road of late would have been pleased with the unusually smooth traffic flow (provided that it was during non-peak hours).

Ever since the Chinese authorities implemented on July 20 the ruling to allow only cars with license plates ending with an odd-number to hit the road on odd-days, and likewise for even-numbered cars on even-days, traffic congestions seem to have loosened a bit in some parts of the City.

My observant taxi driver, however, has noticed that traffic flow on odd-days was usually heavier than on even-days.

And he has a theory why: "Chinese do not like number 4, when they apply for a car license plate, they would pay to avoid getting those ending with 4.

"So, if many people avoided 4, less number plates ending with even-number are issued. That's why there are less even-numbered cars, and traffic flow on even-days is better," he said confidently.

Number 4 (si – forth intonation) in Chinese language has the same pronunciation as dead (si – third intonation), and is avoided by some for obvious reasons.

I'm not sure if there is any truth in such a theory, but ever since that conversation, I could not help but start looking up for cars with license plates ending with 4.
 
Chinese have a long tradition of fussing over numbers, for example the ancient text I-Ching – containing a symbolic system used to identify order in chance events – has been employed by some fortune tellers to help clients pick combination of numbers for important life events to ensure good luck entailed.

The tradition is strong today, with many Chinese eager to set fortuitous dates for engagements, marriages, business openings. Some try to shake up their luck by having a different set of mobile phone or car license plate numbers.

For the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the opening date was set on Aug 8, or 080808. Eight is well-received in Chinese culture, as it is associated with prosperity (again, that has something to do with its pronunciation). News has it that the marriage registrar offices would be flooded with couples wanting to seal their union that day, for double-happiness.

One of my very pregnant friend, who is due in early August, is often asked by other well-intended friends and relatives: "Why don't you opt for a caesarian on 080808, and ask the doctor to time it at 8:08am?"

Earlier this year, however, after a series of natural disasters and untoward incident have taken place in the country, one unknown author had penned a short message that was later widely circulated in the internet. The author made mathematical calculations on the dates of all the less-than welcomed events and came up with three sets of numbers... one can guess what they were.