The wireless telephone number 8888 8888 was auctioned off for the much-higher-than-expected price of 2.33 million yuan (US$280,000) on Monday in Chengdu, reports Huaxi Metro News.

The phone number, considered the luckiest possible as pronunciation of the number eight resembles that of a Chinese character meaning "good fortune", which is then repeated eight times, was bought by Sichuan Airlines.

The air carrier said it initially hoped to buy the number for 1 million yuan (US$120,481), but the bidding soon soared far beyond that.

Because the money raised in the auction will be used for a social re-employment project, the airline was willing to pay as much as necessary, said Yu Xiudao, vice-president of the carrier.

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