The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

Episode: China Decode — What the Fire Horse Reveals About China’s Past and Future

Date: February 17, 2026

Episode Overview

China Decode marks Lunar New Year and explores the significance of the rare Fire Horse year in Chinese astrology. Co-host Alice Han is joined by writer and commentator Li Jia Zhang to discuss the cultural, historical, and social implications of the Fire Horse, Chinese New Year traditions at home and abroad, demographic trends, and the evolving roles of women in modern China. Using the zodiac as a lens, the conversation weaves historical context with contemporary issues—from migration and family, to feminism and adapting tradition.

Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. The Fire Horse: Astrological and Historical Significance

• What is the Fire Horse Year?

  • The Chinese zodiac's 12-year cycle is combined with five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) for a 60-year repetition (02:54).
  • The Fire Horse year is marked by volatility, boldness, and intensity—“energy, renewal, but also it can mean destruction.” (03:50, Li Jia Zhang)
  • The last Fire Horse year (1966) coincided with the start of the Cultural Revolution, a decade of massive upheaval (10:54).

• Quote:

  “So according to the Chinese traditional belief, the Fire Horse has long been associated with turbulence and dramatic change... So quite a lot of people now in China now are in breath for some turbulence ahead and hopefully some drastic or dramatic changes.” (03:50, Li Jia Zhang)

2. Chinese New Year Traditions: Then and Now

• Celebrations in China

  • Family reunion dinners on New Year's Eve are central (04:40).
  • Traditional symbols (upside-down “Fu” for good fortune, spring couplets) and foods (dumplings, fish, tangyuan) (36:33–39:54).

• Personal Memories & Changing Times

  • Older generations recall rationing, long food queues, and the anticipation of special foods during the New Year in a formerly poor China (06:12–08:00).
  • Modern celebrations see more restaurant dining and less home cooking, especially in cities (34:19, 34:56).

• Global Diaspora and Adaptation

  • While core traditions remain, overseas Chinese adapt celebrations due to ingredient availability and life abroad (06:12).

• Quote:

  “As I was growing up in China, China was still very, very poor. And everything was rationed... Before the Chinese New Year, the work unit Dan Wei... would allocate some good food like ham, eggs to workers. So that was the time we could have enjoyed lots of good food.” (06:12, Li Jia Zhang)

3. The Role of the Zodiac: Superstition, Family & Social Decisions

• Superstition vs. Tradition

  • Most Chinese “don’t believe it totally,” but zodiac signs still subtly influence major decisions (09:09).
  • The Fire Horse brings particular caution to risk—people may delay risky investments or marriages (09:09–09:48).

• Births and Auspicious Years

  • Parents often plan for births in auspicious years (e.g., dragon), avoiding Fire Horse or Goat years, which are seen as less lucky (15:10–17:00).
  • “Dragon lady” (Li Jia herself) as an example of purportedly lucky zodiac alignment (15:52).

• Gendered Stereotypes

  • Fire Horse women are stereotyped as “too strong” for marriage, though counter-narratives highlight their career potential (17:41–18:19).

• Quote:

  “Marriage is already a difficult enterprise to run. So you want to have a good, stable starting point.” (09:51, Li Jia Zhang)
  “In China, as in the rest of the world, some men just don't like a woman with a strong personality.” (18:19, Li Jia Zhang)

4. Demographic Trends: Birth Rate, Marriage, and Social Change

• Declining Birth and Marriage Rates

  • Despite government incentives, birth and marriage rates fall, while women seek education and career over traditional roles (19:07).
  • “The economy is the best contraception.” (20:31, Li Jia Zhang)

• Feminism and Female Empowerment

  • China leads in the number of self-made female billionaires—indicative of changes, but formal feminist organizations face government suppression (21:14, 23:43).
  • Informal support networks fill the gap for gender equality.

• Modern Workarounds

  • Growing practices such as “renting” boyfriends/girlfriends to appease family during Spring Festival (22:03).

• Quote:

  “I think Chinese women are brilliant, very enterprising... today's young woman, they are far more assertive compared to the older generation. They want to live the life on their own terms.” (21:14, Li Jia Zhang)

5. Migration, Urbanization and Tangping (“Lying Flat”)

• Spring Festival Travel Rush

  • The world's largest human migration: 9.5 billion trips expected, with ride-sharing and intense travel logistics (29:01–30:41).

• Urbanization Trends

  • Shift from majority rural (pre-reform era) to urban population, driven by opportunity and mobility from the 1980s onward (31:15).
  • Social mobility has slowed; many young people experience job scarcity and high living costs, fueling the tangping (“lying flat”) trend (32:02–34:09).

• Quote:

  “There’s no democracy as such, but the personal freedom has increased a great deal. So people were allowed to move away from their hometown and settle wherever they could find opportunity.” (31:15, Li Jia Zhang)
  “Social mobility has stagnated… no matter how hard you try, you’re probably not going to go far. So that’s why some people just decided… they had enough, they just tangping.” (32:32, Li Jia Zhang)

6. Symbols, Food and Festive Customs

• Money, Firecrackers, and Food

  • Red “hong bao” envelopes given to children symbolize luck (36:33–36:54).
  • Setting off fireworks at midnight drives away evil and welcomes the new year (37:35–38:09).
  • Key dishes: fish (yu, surplus), dumplings (wealth), tangyuan (sweetness, reunion), sticky rice cake (growth) (38:53–40:10).

• Quote:

  “I remember two sounds. One is the fireworks. Another one is my grandmother chopping with her minced meat for the dumplings.” (38:45, Li Jia Zhang)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Probably not the best year [to get married or have children].” (09:48, Li Jia Zhang)
• “The economy is the best contraception.” (20:31, Li Jia Zhang)
• “Half of the world’s self-made women, the top ten half of them come from China.” (21:14, Li Jia Zhang)
• “There’s always a way to get around it.” — on circumventing government regulations (25:29, Li Jia Zhang)
• “Tangping—a character played by the famous actress, he just lies flat there. …social mobility has stagnated.” (32:12–32:32, Li Jia Zhang)
• “If I think about the Chinese New Year, I remember two sounds. One is the fireworks. Another one is my grandmother chopping with her minced meat for the dumplings.” (38:45, Li Jia Zhang)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 01:44 — Intro & Fire Horse: symbolism and history (Alice Han, Li Jia Zhang)
• 04:18 — New Year traditions and family memories
• 09:09 — Zodiac influence on decisions (finance/marriage/childbearing)
• 10:54 — Fire Horse years in Chinese history (Cultural Revolution, 1906)
• 15:10 — Birth rates, auspicious years for babies, gender stereotypes
• 19:07 — Declining birth/marriage rates, women’s progress
• 21:14 — Female self-made billionaires & feminism in China
• 29:01 — Scale of Spring Festival migration, ride-sharing, changing travel logistics
• 32:02 — Urbanization, “lying flat,” social mobility stagnation
• 36:33 — Traditional foods, symbols, red envelopes, firecrackers
• 38:53 — Meaning behind specific dishes and customs

Overall Tone & Takeaways

Warm, conversational, and richly informative—Alice and Li Jia offer both personal anecdotes and sharp social analysis. The episode blends humor (“It certainly changes this culture of Dan and Zhuy in China… chauvinism which did exist...”) (23:20), nostalgia, and cultural critique. The central message: China’s traditions are both deeply enduring and rapidly adapting, with the Fire Horse year providing a fascinating backdrop for exploring the country’s complexities at a moment of renewal and uncertainty.