0:00:00.891,0:00:03.689
Have you ever been asked[br]by your Chinese friend,

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"What is your zodiac sign?"

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Don't think they are making small talk.

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If you say, "I'm a Monkey,"

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they immediately know

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you are either 24, 36, 48 or 60 years old.

0:00:15.210,0:00:16.216
(Laughter)

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Asking a zodiac sign is a polite way[br]of asking your age.

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By revealing your zodiac sign,[br]you are also being evaluated.

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Judgments are being made[br]about your fortune or misfortune,

0:00:28.593,0:00:30.971
your personality, career prospects

0:00:30.995,0:00:32.963
and how you will do in a given year.

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If you share you and your[br]partner's animal signs,

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they will paint a picture in their mind[br]about your private life.

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Maybe you don't believe[br]in the Chinese zodiac.

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As a quarter of the world population[br]is influenced by it,

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you'd be wise to do something about that.

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So what is the Chinese zodiac, exactly?

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Most Westerners think[br]of Greco-Roman zodiac,

0:00:57.211,0:00:59.434
the signs divided into 12 months.

0:00:59.973,0:01:01.924
The Chinese zodiac is different.

0:01:01.948,0:01:05.126
It's a 12-year cycle labeled with animals,

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starting with a Rat and ending with a Pig,

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and has no association[br]with constellations.

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For example, if you were born[br]in 1975, you are a Rabbit.

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Can you see your zodiac sign there?

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Our Chinese ancestors constructed[br]a very complicated theoretical framework

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based on yin and yang, the five elements[br]and the 12 zodiac animals.

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Over thousands of years,

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this popular culture has affected[br]people's major decisions,

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such as naming, marriage, giving birth[br]and attitude towards each other.

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And some of the implications[br]are quite amazing.

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The Chinese believe certain animals[br]get on better than the others.

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So parents choose specific years[br]to give birth to babies,

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because they believe the team effort[br]by the right combination of animals

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can give prosperity to families.

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We even refer to the zodiac[br]when entering into romantic relations.

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I'm a Pig; I should have perfect romance[br]with Tigers, Goats and Rabbits.

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Chinese people believe some animals[br]are natural enemies.

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As a Pig, I need[br]to be careful with a Snake.

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Raise your hand if you are a Snake.

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Let's have a chat later.

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(Laughter)

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We believe some animals[br]are luckier than the others,

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such as the Dragon.

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Unlike the Western tradition,

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the Chinese Dragon is a symbol[br]for power, strength and wealth.

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It's everyone's dream[br]to have a Dragon baby.

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Jack Ma's parents[br]must have been very proud.

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And they are not the only ones.

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In 2012, the Year of the Dragon,

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the birthrate in China,[br]Hong Kong and Taiwan

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increased by five percent.

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That means another[br]one million more babies.

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With a traditional[br]preference to baby boys,

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the boy-girl ratio that year[br]was 120 to 100.

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When those Dragon boys grow up,

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they will face much more severe[br]competition in love and job markets.

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According to the BBC and the Chinese[br]government's press release,

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January 2015 saw a peak[br]of Cesarean sections.

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Why?

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That was the last month[br]for the Year of the Horse.

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It's not because they like horses so much,

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it's because they try to avoid[br]having unlucky Goat babies.

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(Laughter)

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If you are a Goat, please don't feel bad.

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Those are Goat babies.

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They don't look like losers to me.

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(Laughter)

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Tiger is another undesirable animal,

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due to its volatile temperament.

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Many Chinese regions[br]saw a sharp decline of birthrate

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during those years.

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Perhaps one should consider[br]zodiac in reverse,

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as those Tiger and Goat babies[br]will face much less competition.

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Maybe they are the lucky ones.

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I went through the Forbes[br]top 300 richest people in the world,

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and it's interesting to see

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the most undesirable two animals,[br]the Goat and Tiger,

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are at the top of the chart,

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even higher than the Dragon.

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So maybe we should consider,

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maybe it's much better[br]to have less competition.

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One last but interesting point:

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many Chinese people make[br]their investment decisions

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based on the zodiac sign index.

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Although the belief and tradition[br]of the zodiac sign

0:04:40.300,0:04:42.138
has been over thousands of years,

0:04:43.051,0:04:46.345
the trend of using it[br]in making major decisions

0:04:46.369,0:04:49.550
did not really happen[br]until the past few decades.

0:04:49.934,0:04:54.330
Our ancestors were very busy[br]surviving poverty, drought,

0:04:54.354,0:04:58.004
famine, riot, disease and civil war.

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And finally, Chinese people[br]have the time, wealth and technology

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to create an ideal life[br]they've always wanted.

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The collective decision[br]made by 1.3 billion people

0:05:11.275,0:05:15.826
has caused the fluctuation in economics[br]and demand on everything,

0:05:15.850,0:05:20.425
from health care and education[br]to property and consumer goods.

0:05:21.092,0:05:26.066
As China plays such an important role[br]in the global economy and geopolitics,

0:05:26.090,0:05:30.199
the decisions made based on the zodiac[br]and other Chinese traditions

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end up impacting everyone[br]around the world.

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Are there any Monkeys here?

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2016 is the Year of the Monkey.

0:05:41.220,0:05:46.929
Monkeys are clever, curious,[br]creative and mischievous.

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Thank you.

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(Applause)