Similar to the common Western practice of using “9” for price points, it is common to see “8” being used in its place to achieve the same psychological effect. So for example menu prices like $58, $88 are frequently seen.
The word for “eight” (八bā) sounds similar to the word which means “prosper” or “wealth” (發fā)– often paired with “發財” during Chinese New Years, but is used alone or paired with numerous other “compound words” that have a meaning of luck or success. In regional dialects the words for “eight” and “fortune” are also similar. Note as well, this particular symbol matches the mathematical symbol of infinity. While Chinese does have other words for luck, this full understanding of luck that includes the infinity concept marries into a Chinese understanding of this particular word.
There is also a visual resemblance between two digits, “88”, and 囍, the “shuāng xĭ” (“double joy”), a popular decorative design composed of two stylized characters 喜(“xĭ” meaning “joy” or “happiness”).
The number 8 is viewed as such an auspicious number that even being assigned a number with several eights is considered very lucky.
In 2003, A telephone number with all digits being eights was sold for CN¥2.33 million (approximately US$280,000) to Sichuan Airlines in Chengdu, China.
The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing began on 8/8/08 at 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8 pm local time (UTC+08).
A man in Hangzhou offered to sell his license plate reading A88888 for ¥1.12 million (roughly $164,000).
The Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia each have 88 floors.
Singapore Airlines reserves flight numbers beginning with the number 8 to routes in China and Korea.
SriLankan Airlines reserves flight numbers beginning with the number 8 to routes in China.
The US Treasury has sold 70,000 dollar bills with serial numbers that contain 4 eights.
In Singapore, a breeder of rare Dragon fish (Asian Arowana) (which are “lucky fish” and being a rare species, are required to be microchipped), makes sure to use numbers with plenty of eights in their microchip tag numbers, and appears to reserve particular numbers especially rich in eights and sixes (e.g., 702088880006688) for particularly valuable specimens.
As part of grand opening promotions, a Commerce Bank branch in New York’s Chinatown raffled off safety deposit box No. 888.
An “auspicious” numbering system was adopted by the developers of 39 Conduit Road Hong Kong, where the top floor was “88” – Chinese for double fortune. It is already common in Hong Kong for ~4th floors not to exist; there is no requirement by the Buildings Department for numbering other than that it being “made in a logical order.” A total of 43 intermediate floor numbers are omitted from 39 Conduit Road: those missing include 14, 24, 34, 54, 64, all floors between 40 and 49; the floor number which follows 68 is 88.
