We are starting the 2020s with refreshed optimism and welcome the Year of the Rat. The Rat is the first of all 12 zodiac animals and marks a new cycle. The last zodiac cycle was marked by the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis and depressed economic growth.
The Rat, attributed with Yang, the bright or positive of the Ying-Yang dualism, represents the beginning of a new day. In Chinese culture, rats were seen as a sign of wealth and surplus. Although economists might disagree with Chinese fortune tellers on the outlook and growth of prosperity this year, I am inclined to listen to the optimistic fortune tellers.
A new beginning that promises to be a fruitful and prosperous year would certainly be fitting. Many in Hong Kong would certainly welcome a new start after months of protest. While calm has returned for most of the holidays at the end of last year and confrontations appear to be less in numbers and violence, the underlying social issues remain unresolved. Also, the fronts on the trade dispute between the US and China seem to soften with the phase one agreement, perhaps signalling a way forward to overcome adversity.
The Year of the Rat starts from 25th January 2020 and lasts until 11th February 2021.
We wish you Kung Hei Fat Choi, Gong Xi Fa Cai, a prosperous new year!
