For example, auction house Sotheby's only began work on its new office space in Hong Kong last year after a feng shui master chose an auspicious date.

CNN: Asia mixes making money with ancient beliefs

The two models for master-planned communities both date back to the 1960s: Irvine, in southern California, and Sun City, outside Phoenix.

ECONOMIST: The growth of private communities

The quiz master would then pounce, asking for a date and who it's by.

ECONOMIST: London's National Gallery