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Baby Boom in China

A mini-baby boom is taking   place in China, bringing happiness to parents and grandparents, jamming hospital maternity wards and thrilling retailers who sell maternity and baby clothes.

But why is this happening?

In China, the calendar years 2006 and 2007, which correspond to the Chinese lunar calendar Years of the Dog and the Pig, are considered lucky years for a couple to have a child. But why these two years? Unlike the post-World War II US baby boom of 1946–1964, this baby boom is culturally inspired. The first and the main reason is the Chinese’s strong belief in shengxiao (…˙–§), the 12 symbolic animals associated with the 12 Earthly Branches that form part of a 12-year cycle used to record time in ancient China. These 12 animals are used in China to denote the year of a person’s birth. It is believed that people often bear aspects of the characters of the animals associated with the years in which they are born. Among the 12 animals, the dog is thought to be clever, loyal and kind-hearted to friends, while the pig is considered calm, easy-going and lucky. Because of these admirable traits, many people favour the Year of the Dog and the Pig for their children’s births.

But fortune doesn’t stop there. Marriage is very much on the upswing in 2006. In Beijing about 300,000 people have chosen this year to get married, as many of them believe “two springs in 2006 on the lunar calendar will bring good luck and happiness.” Why two springs? As in 2007, the day “Spring Commences” on the lunar calendar falls on February 4, while the Spring Festival of 2007 falls on February 18. Therefore, the day of “Spring Commences” in 2007 will still be in the year of Dog on the lunar calendar, hence the saying: “two springs in 2006 in the lunar calendar.” In comparison, only 180,000 people got married in Beijing in 2005.

Another factor contributing to the baby boom is the country’s large population of young people who have arrived at just the right age for parenthood.

This is absolutely good news for producers of child-related goods. According retailers at SCITECH Plaza, their recent nine months, maternity and baby-product sales have increased by 20 percent–30 percent more than the same period in 2005. The most popular products are radiation-protection clothing used to protect fetuses and newborns from the possibly harmful radiation emitted by widely used electronic products, and disposable baby diapers which manufacturers are spending more to promote in 2006. Wedding service companies, hotels and restaurants and wedding photo studios are also benefiting from this lunar-calendar-inspired anomaly. 

Detailed information about maternity and baby services and nutritous foods for the new mothers can be found in the piece.