"Will Have a Child in the 12 Zodiac Signs"... Dream of the 7-Trillion Won Wealthy Chinese Chairman and His Wife Who Had 9 Children

Gave Birth to 9 Children... 6 Childcare Helpers
Husband Is Chairman of China's 'Wanjung' Group

A couple in their 30s in China, who have given birth to nine children over 16 years of marriage, has expressed their ambition to have more children and complete the 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs, drawing public attention.

According to local media such as China Daily on the 16th, the couple Zhao Wanlong (趙萬龍, 36) and Tian Dongxia (田東霞, 33) have been in love since high school and got married in 2008. The couple gave birth to children almost every year from 2010 to 2022, having a total of nine children. In 2012, the Year of the Dragon, they even had twins.

Jiao Wanlong and Tian Dongxia couple with their 9 children [Photo source= China SNS Douyin capture]

Initially, Mrs. Tian planned to have only up to four children. However, she changed her mind after realizing that having more children brought vitality to their home. She also confessed, "It felt like a waste of my husband's good genes."

Recently, the couple announced on Douyin, a social networking service in China, their aspiration to have more children to complete all 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs. If they have children born in the Year of the Rabbit, Snake, Horse, and Sheep, their wish will be fulfilled.

Local netizens who heard the couple’s story questioned how they would realistically afford the upbringing costs for so many children. However, it was revealed that Mr. Zhao is the chairman of Wan Zheng Group, an electrical equipment manufacturing company, with assets worth 40 billion yuan (approximately 7.4 trillion KRW), which settled the concerns.

Mr. Zhao founded Wan Zheng Group in 2009 with the help of his parents, and Mrs. Tian reportedly assisted with the company work in the early years of their marriage. As more children were born, Mrs. Tian has been fully dedicated to childcare, and it is known that they currently employ six nannies. Mr. Zhao has also hired a driver and a nutritionist for his wife.

Meanwhile, China had enforced a one-child policy since 1978, but as birth rates sharply declined in the 2010s, the government fully implemented a two-child policy in 2016 and further relaxed restrictions by allowing three children in 2021. The fines for additional births were also abolished.

However, the number of newborns in China has continued to decrease, falling below 10 million in both 2022 and 2023 for two consecutive years. This is the first time since 1949 that the number of newborns in China has dropped below 10 million.