Wealth and superstition seem to go hand in hand, a phenomenon that deserves attention from governments, according to a Chinese law maker and political adviser.

"Fortune-telling, Chinese horoscope and Fengshui have become popular in some areas, casting a shadow on building a harmonious society," said Peng Fuchun, a deputy to the National People's Congress.

Peng is also a professor of philosophy with the Wuhan University in central China's Hubei Province.

The example Peng gave was a businessman in southwest Yunnan Province, who painted the hill rocks opposite his gate red following the advice of a Fengshui master.

In 2000, the Year of Dragon, more than 36 million babies were born in China, a figure much higher than those of 1999 and 2001. And 2007, Year of the Golden Pig, will also see a baby boom.

Animal signs of the dragon and pig are deemed lucky, as distinct from the goat and snake.

"Superstition is not just a matter of personal preference ... if not curbed, it will hamper social harmony and stability," said Huang Wei, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Painting the rocks in Yunnan can damage the local environment, and the birth rush will cause a shortage of social facilities when the babies grow up, go to school and look for jobs.

The gruesome Taoist temple murders by a Chinese farmer named Qiu Xinghua, who was executed last year, stemmed from fortune-telling, Huang said.