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Chinese couple draws attention after having 13 children
Published : Sunday, 27 September, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Observer online report
A couple in rural China has attracted widespread attention after having 13 children over 22 years, with their story sparking discussion about large families amid the country’s declining birth rate.
The 49-year-old husband, surnamed Huang, and his 42-year-old wife live in Qinzhou in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. According to Jiupai News, they have eight sons and five daughters. Their eldest daughter is 22 and married, while their youngest child is two.
The couple’s second daughter is studying at university, while their 18-year-old eldest son is still in upper secondary school. The children were born in an order in which the first two and last three are girls, with boys in between.
Huang said he enrols his children in school according to their age and follows China’s compulsory education requirements.
The family’s main source of income is farming. A local official said the family receives a monthly government allowance of 3,500 yuan, or around US$520. The assistance keeps their income above the government’s poverty threshold. Local officials also provided financial assistance several years ago to help the family build a two-storey house.
Huang said he is happy with his large family. He said hearing his children call him “dad” gives him joy and that each child has a different personality.
He also said having a large family makes him feel less vulnerable to harassment in the village and means he will not be alone in his old age.
China had a one-child policy from the late 1970s until the end of 2015. The limit was later raised to two children and then to three in 2021.
Local officials have visited Huang’s home several times and advised him not to have more children. It is unclear whether he was fined for violating birth-control rules.
Huang has also accumulated debt while supporting his family. In 2016, he suffered serious injuries to his leg and waist in an accident at a construction site. He said his medical treatment cost 100,000 yuan, or around US$15,000, and he is still repaying the debt.
He said he works on his farm throughout the day and sometimes into the evening to support the family. Long hours of work cause pain in his leg and waist, and he can no longer lift heavy objects. However, he said his wife remains healthy after giving birth to 13 children.
The family has drawn mixed reactions on Chinese social media. Some users questioned whether the couple could provide adequate food, education, healthcare and other necessities for such a large family.
Others praised the family and said the government should support them for contributing to society. Some also expressed concern about the mother’s health.
The family’s story has attracted attention as China seeks to address its declining birth rate through measures encouraging marriage and childbearing.
source: South China Morning Post
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
