Congratulations on your prosperity, but go cautiously in the Year of the Rat

Hong Kong’s underperforming Disneyland theme park has high hopes for the Chinese Year of the Rat, which arrived in boisterous style last week. As one of the few businesses heavily invested in rodent symbolism, the creators of Mickey Mouse are offering special discounts for the New Year period and have enlisted local pop stars to serenade the crowds.

This may help Disney reach its targets, but in the wider economy caution seems to be the watchword for the Rat year. Feng shui masters come into their own as the new year gives way to the old. They issue massive almanacs of predictions and dispense advice from temple stalls for fees that range from modest to truly impressive. Mostly people ask about their love lives, but on the business side of things there appears to be a consensus that the Year of the Rat will see the economy cool; investors are advised to be prudent.