02/07/2024

This Lunar New Year Is the Year of the Dragon

The beast is a big deal in Chinese culture

The last time China's birth rates peaked was in 2012: that year, for every 1,000 people, there were 15 live births, a far cry from 2023's 6.39. It was a statistical anomaly, considering the country's ongoing state of demographic decline, which has proven extremely difficult to reverse. But 2024 may just see another baby boom for China, for the same reason as 12 years ago: it's a Year of the Dragon.

Dragons are a big deal in Chinese culture. Whereas in the West dragons are often depicted as winged, fire-breathing monsters, the Chinese dragon, or the loong, is a symbol of strength and magnanimity. The mythical being is so revered that it snagged a spot as the only fictional creature in the Chinese Zodiac's divine roster. And the imagery pervades society today, whether in boats, dances or the stars. 

International discourse about China’s economy or politics also often references the country as a "red dragon," which critics have said subconsciously panders to 'Orientalism' and fears of communism. But many Chinese proudly embrace the connection: China’s President Xi Jinping told former President Donald Trump in 2017 that the Chinese people are black-haired, yellow-skinned “descendants of the dragon.” 

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.