Since coming to power in 1949, the Communist Party has sought to wipe out superstition. Traditional notions of fung shui and natural cycles explained in the I-Ching have been dismissed as superstitions to be obliterated from people's psychology, rather than precious traditions to be held onto, which could evolve in their own right. China has adopted wholesale the western rational logic over the supernatural, emphasising man's ability to conquer nature, embedded now in the 'concept of scientific development'. Nowhere is this expressed more overtly than in the five cartoon animal mascots - known as the fuwa, or 'good luck dolls' - for the Beijing Olympics, whose names when run together say 'Beijing huanyin ni' (Beijing welcomes you). Ironically, the tightest visa restrictions since China's opening 30 years ago have forced many foreigners to cancel their visits. Just weeks before the Games, Beijing's hotels are mostly empty. The five cartoon animals are based on original Taoist principles of gold or metal, wood, earth, water, and fire, embodying elements in a chain of interactive cycles, both creative and destructive. The five Olympic rings have been matched to these elements in creating the cartoon motifs. But, political necessity required each motif to embody additional symbolism to break the link with tradition (understood as superstition), in turn scrambling the natural cycles, and replacing the key element - metal - with 'sky'. Over the past year, Chinese children have been taught the fuwa's politically correct attributes. But now, halfway into a year of calamity, people who once collected the dolls are discarding them for fear of bad luck. Ironically intended to promote scientific rationalism, the dolls are now blamed for everything from riots in Tibet to the Sichuan earthquake. Each animal has an official designation - prosperity, happiness, passion, health, and good luck - while traditional Chinese values like shan (compassion), dao (natural path), or li (respect) have been shunned. The Olympics opening ceremony will be held on August 8, 2008 (8.8.8). The number 8 associated with the word fa (prosperity or to get rich) has become associated with Beijing's own emerging Da Vinci Code of catastrophe attached to materialism, the dismissal of spirituality and loss of respect for nature. The supposed chain of catastrophe begins with the mascot Beibei, who is a zhonghuaxun, a near-extinct Yangtze sturgeon that symbolises the water element, and whose official designation is 'prosperity'. Chinese popularly associate it with several disasters. Five such fish - symbolising the five Olympic rings - were sent to Hong Kong's Ocean Park and exhibited on June 20 (20.6) [2+0+6=8]. A few days later, one was mortally wounded by barracuda. Southern China has been hit by massive floods. Beibei's fish design is said to resemble ancient pottery lids of burial urns for children, linking Beibei to children's deaths from the EV71 [7+1=8] virus. Jingjing, a panda, symbolises the wood element, officially designated as 'happiness'. Pandas are associated with Sichuan, site of the earthquake of May 12 (12.5) [1+2+5=8]. Huanhuan represents the Olympic torch and symbolises the fire element, now designated as 'passion'. China was embarrassed when the torch was repeatedly disrupted by passionate human rights protests during runs in Europe. Yingying, a Tibetan antelope, symbolises the earth element, with the official designation of 'health'. Yingying is blamed for the March 14 (14.3) [1+4+3=8) unrest in Tibet. Nini is a swallow (the old name of Beijing was Yanjing, or 'swallow capital'). Nini also symbolises the sky - which is not one of the five traditional Taoist elements. So, the metal element is missing. Fung shui experts say Nini disrupts the pattern, and that politicising the natural order of element interaction has led to catastrophe. Nini will emerge from the sky during the opening ceremony at 8pm on August 8. Nini's official designation is 'good luck'. Yet, many now fear the opposite. Laurence Brahm is a political economist, author, filmmaker and founder of Shambhala