Tim Li.[Photo provided to China Daily]

4. Tim Li, 36, male, executive with a Beijing-based company

When I was about 8-years-old, I heard for the first time from an old person that people born in the Year of Sheep have bad luck. But then my grandfather told me only women born in the Year of Sheep have an unfortunate fate and it doesn't matter for men. But now, giving it a second thought, my grandfather must have been lying.

I was also told that it is really bad for people to be born in winter during the Year of the Sheep, because there is no grass for them to eat. People born at the beginning of the Year of the Sheep are fortunate, because sheep usually live well for a whole year before being killed for meat at the end of the year.

Many of my classmates were born in the Year of the Sheep, and as far as I know all of them have had fortunate lives. Some of them have become very rich.

I think I'm just an average man. I'm not super lucky, but not super unlucky, either.

When talking with friends and relatives, I don't avoid mentioning the belief that people born in the Year of the Sheep have bad luck. I often joke that, since I am a man, being born the Year of the Sheep doesn't affect me.

I don't believe in fate or superstitions related to zodiac signs. I think someone's life depends on his or her diligence and effort, even though luck does matter to some extent. Fate is definitely not tied to zodiac signs.

It makes sense to me that a man's character defines his fate.