Hong Kong welcomed at least three babies as the clock struck midnight to usher in the Year of the Horse on Tuesday.

Two of the babies were born at Union Hospital, including a baby boy weighing 2.94 kilos.

The newborn is the fifth child of a couple surnamed Tang, who said their baby's expected delivery date was supposed to be later.

"I looked at the clock right after my baby was born, and I was amazed," his mother said.

"The most memorable experience of this pregnancy was that his heart rate once went to 190. It had never happened before and I was admitted to hospital for observation."

A baby girl was also born in the same hospital, weighing 2.9 kilos.

Her father, a Xiamen native who came to Hong Kong via the Top Talent Pass Scheme, said the timing of his daughter's birth was meaningful and hoped she would have qualities of an "alpha horse".

Kwong Wah Hospital also delivered a baby boy around the same time, weighing 3.05 kilos.

His mother said it was an emotional moment to finally give birth to her son about 24 hours after going into labour, while the father said the midnight delivery was unexpected.

He also expressed the wish for more support to encourage childbirth, on top of the HK$20,000 cash allowance.



Edited by Robert Kemp