Twins' Cultural Festival kicks off in China

Twins, triplets and more from all over China gathered in Beijing on Monday to take part in the capital's annual Twins' Cultural Festival. Organisers said they expected some 500-600 sets of twins and other multiples of all ages to attend the two-day festival, the sixth of its kind to be held in Beijing. In some countries, twins, triplets and other multiples may be seen as a greater burden on parents, but in China's cities, where the 'one child' policy is stringently enforced, having twins is the only means for many of having a second child. Introduced in the late 1970s and early 80s, the one child policy forbids almost all urban residents from having a second child, while rules are more relaxed for ethnic minorities and rural residents whose first child is a girl.