“No put my face on lottery ticket.”
But that’s just what China’s state lottery has done. Launched last week in Qufu, Shandong Province, where the famous philosopher lived some 2,500 years ago, the tickets cost 10 Yuan (£0.90 or $1.50) a piece. Not only does each coupon boast a *colour* picture of the ancient Chinese giant – he was reputedly rather tall – but they also include one of his sayings. The jackpot ticket will apparently read, “Of all rituals, harmony is the most valuable,” though I imagine the lucky holder would be more interested in the 300,000 Yuan (£27,500 or $44,000) prize.
The whole business has stoked up a bit of controversy, of course, but what would life be like without a little of that, eh? Critics disapprove of the tickets, which they argue challenge the teachings and spirit of Confucius. But the lottery, which offers the only legal form or gambling in China, hit back, claiming that the tickets promote a “healthy, wholesome life,” by informing the general public of their country’s ancient past. Like okaaayyyy . . . .
