Twenty-six year old Hong Hong married last year and is now ready to have a baby. But contrary to centuries-old Confucian tradition Hong does not want a boy. She wants a girl.

‘My father’s generation wants to have boys due to the old view which values male children only. No matter how poor they are, they want boys,’ says Hong, who grew up in eastern Anhui province but now works for an international company in Shanghai. ‘[But] I would definitely prefer to have a baby girl.’