Hi,

This reply is about a year late. But I think you guys might find it interesting.

I am Chinese, and I do read his blog once in a while so I am aware of the number system he uses. He basically uses a combination of number rhyme system (if they rhyme) or number shape system (For example 11 is chopsticks), or association (for example 12 is calendar) for every number up to 99.

For example, 27 in Chinese is er (two) qi(seven), sounds like er ji (headphone).

99 is jiu (9) jiu (9), sounds like jiu jiu (uncle).

28 is er (2) ba (8 ), sounds like e ba (gangster).

51 is wu (5) yi (1), sounds like wu yi (martial arts).

52 is wu (5) er (2), sounds like gu er (small drum).

70 is qi (7) ling (0 ) , sounds like qi ling (a dragon like mythical creature in chinese culture) or bing qi ling (icecream)

I think that is one of the reasons why they can code numbers extremely fast and do not need to invest much time into expanding the system into more digits. Almost every number has a sound alike object. So for chinese, they can pick up really fast and get really fluent at it.

I read one review from a chinese mnemonist (Yuan Wen Kui) about Dominic o’Brien’s book (you can have an amazing memory), he paid a lot of respect to Dominic O’Brien. He commented that DOMINIC System is of no use for Chinese people because of the language background. All they need is using rhyming. One of my friends from China basically knew 100 digits of Pi without any number system because they can basically make it like a little poem and it rhymes really nicely.

Wang Feng basically put 2 objects (4 numbers) on each locus. Simple is better. To them, each word is more than second nature to them as every time they read the number out, it is already an image for every 2 digits.