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What's in a Chinese name? Ancient rites and growing business

Tech-savvy entrepreneurs have turned the ancient naming tradition into a lucrative online business
Mon, Apr 03, 2017 - 5:50 AM

BT_20170403_CPNAME3_2820706.jpg
A portrait of fortune-teller Mao Shandong hanging outside his shop in an alleyway in Beijing. Mr Mao says he is ready to abandon his fortune-telling business in the face of intense online competition as he scorns his rivals in the naming industry.
PHOTO: AFP

Beijing

IN A one-room shop tucked inside a Beijing alley, a bearded 74-year-old fortune-teller in crimson tunic offers what Chinese parents have sought for centuries: an auspicious name for their newborn.

But business has been tough lately for Mao Shandong and others in his trade...

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