'Year of the Dragon' ready to roar across Asia

February 4, 2000
Web posted at: 6:04 p.m. HKT (1004 GMT)

In this story: Dragon considered good luck Millions head for family reunions Police brace for holiday crimes Premier promotes reunification RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

BEIJING -- Millions of Asians around the world are ready to celebrate as the Lunar New Year approaches, and countless numbers are trying to reach their hometowns before the Year of the Dragon arrives on Saturday.

But in Taiwan, Saturday will usher in more than the Chinese New Year. The celebrations are expected to be the beginning of a yearlong "baby boom" as couples try to capitalize on the dragon's good fortune.

"Dragon babies will be more successful," says Lin Hsiu-ying, who is due to give birth any day. "They'll do better in school. They'll be more successful. Life will be smoother. That's why parents want a dragon baby."

The dragon has traditionally been considered the most auspicious sign on the 12-year Chinese zodiac -- it is supposed to bring good luck. But this new year is even more special because it is also a "golden dragon" year, which occurs once every 60 years.

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This combination of luck and special timing appears to have motivated thousands of Taiwanese couples to have babies -- and lots of them.

"We're increasing the number of doctors, nurses and staff," Dr. Hung Teng-hsiu told CNN. "Especially as it's a golden dragon year."

Taiwan officials say they are expecting a 30 percent increase in the number of babies born, to more than 400,000, across the island during the new year. Prenatal classes are already full at Taipei's largest hospital.

Still, some people believe dragon babies face certain drawbacks. They say the surge in births will mean the children will face greater competition for places in school and for jobs, and they will have to cope with the burden of higher expectations.

"Because of all the competition, I have some friends who don't want a dragon baby. They're thinking of waiting a year or two," says Tsai Ying-ming.

On Friday, hundreds of millions of Chinese headed home for the holidays as the world's most-populous nation prepared to ring in the Year of the Dragon with family reunions, feasts and fireworks.

State media reported 33 million people traveled by trains between January 21 to 31, the first wave of an estimated 129 million rail passengers during China's most-important holiday.

Of a projected 1.6 billion trips taken in the 40-day period surrounding the holiday, highway traffic was expected to total 1.4 billion and air traffic 6.8 million, official Xinhua news agency reported.

Day laborers crushed up against well-heeled white-collar workers Friday during the annual exodus from city to home province that puts a population the size of the United States on China's planes, trains and buses.

"I couldn't get a ticket earlier, so I'll be greeting the New Year during the 24-hour ride back to Sichuan," said Hu Zongxiu. "My New Year's eve feast may be these instant noodles."

In thousands of Chinese railroad and bus stations, police kept a vigil against pickpockets and robbers lurking in the sea of vinyl luggage, holiday-best clothing and people in a hurry. Authorities also braced for the annual, usually futile battle to control fireworks in the country that invented them.

Firecrackers are banned in Beijing and many big cities, but allowed in the countryside. Streets in Beijing, usually jammed with shoppers and travelers rushing home on Lunar New Year's Eve, were eerily quiet Friday.

The government has declared a five-day holiday starting Saturday, and many people took off a day early.

"Usually people go to work for a half-day on the 30th," said taxi driver Wang Feixing, using the date from the traditional farmers' calendar for Lunar New Year's Eve.

"But most offices let people go yesterday. So many Beijing industries are in a slump, going to work is no better than staying home."

China's leadership marked the holiday by promoting peaceful reunification with Taiwan based on the autonomy formula used during reunification with both Hong Kong and Macau.

"At this occasion of reunion for millions of families, we miss our Taiwan compatriots more than ever," Premier Zhu Rongji said during a reception to welcome the New Year.

China wants to end the 50-year separation with Taiwan, and is trying to coax the island into talks on unification, partly by building up its military and threatening to take the island forcibly. But Zhu steered clear of intimidation, and his remarks kept to the holiday's convivial family spirit.

"After Hong Kong and Macau returned to the motherland, the sacred mission to resolve the Taiwan issue and completely reunite the motherland has become even more prominent for all the Chinese people," Zhu said.

Hong Kong Bureau Chief Mike Chinoy, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.