Many couples in China wish to have babies in 2010, wanting them to be brave and strong like tigers.
The tiger, king of jungle, represents courage, dignity and strength in the Chinese culture. Babies born in this year are nicknamed "tiger babies".
Deng Weiping, 32, has been married for six years and his wife is due to deliver in a week. "My wife and I wanted to start a family and the Year of the Tiger is very auspicious, so we chose to have our baby this year," Deng said as Chinese people welcomed the Year of the Tiger on February 14.
"I hope my baby can be as strong as a tiger and have the disposition of a king," Deng said.
Hospitals had more expecting mothers than the same period last year, Xinhua news agency reported. Liuhuangding Hospital in Yantai city, Shandong, saw 70 newborns in the first five days of 2010, one third more than the same period last year.
The Chinese have long been fond of tigers and the tiger has become an auspicious symbol for the Chinese, said Li Hao, deputy secretary-general of Shandong Folklore Society.
The Chinese Zodiac is a 12-year cycle with each year associated with an animal and its characteristics.
The previous Year of the Tiger was 1998 and the next one will be 2022. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig represent the 12 animals in the rotating 12-year cycle that is the basis for the Chinese Zodiac.