The nation's 1.3 billion inhabitants will welcome the Year of the Rabbit on the night of February 2-3 in a hugely important family event marked by feasts and a blaze of fireworks.

Occupying the fourth position in the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit is closely linked to the moon and symbolises happiness and good fortune.

Many -- including brokerages -- are banking on the calm and sensitive rabbit to usher in a calm 12 months after the tiger brought a spate of deadly natural disasters to China such as earthquakes and mudslides.

CLSA, a brokerage and investment group, predicted in its latest "Feng Shui Index" that the rabbit would have a positive influence on stock markets.