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True value of neighbors

May 10, 2009, Sunday | Print Edition

HOW much should a good neighbor be worth? Ten million dollars? At least this is what a popular Chinese idiom will tell you.

Qian1 wan2 mai3 lin2 or "spending 10 million to buy a good neighbor" is one of many Chinese sayings highlighting a long Chinese tradition of valuing an ideal neighborhood.

For instance, when the ancient Chinese sage, Mencius, was young, his mother moved their home three times to find a neighborhood which she believed would have a beneficial influence on her son.

But Qian1 wan2 mai3 lin2 is perhaps the only Chinese saying that puts a price tag on a good neighbor.

The expression comes from a story about an upright official living some 15 centuries ago.

Lu Sengzhen helped General Xiao Yan establish the Liang Dynasty (AD 502-557). Although Lu was later promoted to a very high position in the imperial court, he remained an official with integrity.

After serving the court for a couple of years, Lu asked the emperor to allow him to go back to his hometown in east China and so he was appointed to the position of local prefecture governor.

The official did everything possible in his hometown to keep a clean government. He repeatedly declined requests made by his relatives for favors and took good care of his neighbors.

One day, a new neighbor moved in. Lu immediately paid a courtesy visit to this new neighbor.

During their conversation, the official asked how much the house cost. The new neighbor said, "Eleven million."

"What?" Lu said, incredulously, "Eleven million? How could it be so costly?"

"Oh, no. the house didn't cost that much. I spent only 1 million for the house."

"Then, what about the 10 million?"

"That's the value of finding a good neighbor like you," answered the new neighbor.

Today, "spending 1 million to buy a house, but spending 10 million to find a good neighbor" still remains a strong belief among most Chinese. They still place higher value on a good, close neighbor, even more than kinfolk who live far away.

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