With over 1.2 billion mobile phones in China, one number recently attracted great attention, and greater bids.

In Daqing City, the unique mobile number 135-5555-5555 was sold on auction for 6.5 million Yuan, equivalent of US$1.04 million.

Certain other numbers are also on sale for prices ranging from thousands to millions of yuan.

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Retailers said they're charging a high price for the numbers because they also spend much money on them. Maintenance fees for the number 135-5555-5555 alone was 300 yuan a month in order to keep the unique number.

Certain numbers are either revered or avoided by the Chinese depending on how they sound when enunciated, which can be similar to either positive or negative words.

For instance, you're unlikely to find a fourth floor in a Chinese building because the number 4 is said to sound like the Chinese word for 'death'.

Similarly, numbers 6, 8 and 9 are revered for sounding like the Chinese words for 'smooth', 'rich' and 'enduring'.

As a result, certain phone numbers in China are seen as bringing good fortune, and also as a status symbol because of their uniqueness. Having a unique number can itself become a selling point for a business, with Chinese phonetics making certain number combinations particularly memorable.

In this instance, though the number 3 signifies 'birth' and is considered lucky, the number 5 is mainly associated with the Chinese five elements of Water, Fire, Earth, Wood and Metal, and also the Emperor of China. The main selling point is its distinctiveness, making it highly attractive for private entrepreneurs and business owners.

Telecom companies release large batches of mobile numbers at regular intervals to keep up with the constant increase in cell phone usage in the country. Generally, all numbers are priced the same coming from the telecom company, but certain numbers are picked out and sold to sub-distributors who push up the prices.

The Ministry of Information Industry, however, warns that increasing the pricing without approval from local authorities may lead to administrative penalties.

TagsPhone number, Auction, Lucky number, Chinese phonetics