A sprout hair clip was this year's must have in China.

In September, everything was coming up "sprouts" in Beijing. Sprout hair clips were all the rage for both men and women. One sprout clip vendor told CNN he felt the price -- two clips for less than a dollar -- was a small price to pay for joy. This Chinese fad was short lived though. As winter arrived, all the sprouts seem to have wilted.

Vocabulary:

Fad, wilt

4.End of the one-child policy

Chinese parents will no longer limited to having just one child.

China announced the end of three decades of the one-child policy in October, encouraging all couples to have two children. The new policy -- in effect from January 1, 2016 -- will benefit 100 million couples. It comes as China battles emerging demographic issues including a rapidly aging population, shrinking labor force, and imbalanced gender ratio. However, experts say the two child policy alone can't solve all social problems; other public policies are needed to encourage Chinese—especially young urban couples —to have a second child.

Vocabulary:

demographic