Chinese Zodiac Culture中国生肖文化

　　The Origin of Chinese Zodiac生肖的起源

　　In ancient times, our ancestors counted the years with 10 celestial stems and 12 terrestrial branches. Although this was scientific, most people were illiterate and could not memorize or calculate easily. Thus the animals that influenced people's lives were chosen to symbolize the terrestrial branches: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon，snake, horse, sheep, monkey,rooster, dog and pig.

　　For a long time there has been a special relationship between humans and the 12 zodiacal animals. Humans admired them, took them as totems, and in the artistic field, those animal signs were among the features of those themes. This can be reflected in artisans' paper-cut works, NewYear pictures, pottery and bronze wares, especially on the bronze mirrors before the appearance of glass ones, on which elaborate forms showed creativity and passion as well as wishes for a good life.

　　Character of Persons under the Rat Sign鼠年出生人的性格

　　Though in people's eyes, the rat is not adorable, and even some Chinese sayings that related to it have almost derogatory meanings, it ranged as the head of the Chinese zodiac. It was recognized as an animal with spirit, wit, alertness, delicacy, flexibility and vitality.

　　People under this rat sign are usually smart and willing to accumulate wealth and to take efforts to be successful. Throughout their life, there will be many other people who can bring great fortune to them. Thus despite timidity, most of them are happy and harmonious with others.

　　Character of Persons under the Dragon Sign龙年出生人的性格

　　The dragon enjoys a very high reputation in Chinese culture. It is the token of authority, dignity, honor, success, luck, and capacity. In ancient China, a dragon was thought to speed across the sky with divine power Emperors entitled themselves exclusively as "dragon";their thrones were called "dragon thrones"，their clothes "dragon gowns".

　　People under the sign of the dragon are lively, energetic and fortunate. They often can be leaders and try to go for perfection. When they meet with difficulties, they are not discouraged. But they are a little arrogant, and impatient, and women are over-confident. If they overcome these defects, they can have a brighter future.

　　The Use of Zodiac Animal Signs生肖的运用

　　A Chinese horoscope may predict that a person born in the Year of the Horse is "cheerful, popular and quick to compliment others". The year of a person's birth is considered the primary factor in determining a person's

　　personality, physical and mental attributes, ability and level of success and happiness throughout his or her lifetime. Events and occurrences in a given year are influenced by the nature of that year's animal

　　Animal signs also have a useful social function for determining someone's age. Instead of asking directly how old a person is,the Chinese often ask about his or her animal sign, which places a person within a cycle of 12 years. This is a popular way to socialize.

　　China's Horse Culture中国的马文化

　　With the development of the horse breeding industry, abundant experiences were accumulated throughout the ages. The most famous master was named Bole, and others like him that followed also adopted the name.The word" Bole" became a Chinese idiom. The monograph on distinguishing fine breeds of horses by Bole is the earliest of its kind in the world. Other monographs on the subject also appeared during the Tang Dynasty.

　　Horses is China are mainly distributed in the northern regions, including the vast area of Xinjiang and Qinghai in the west of Lanzhou,lnner Mongolia,Northeast China and the northern part of North China,the mountainous

　　regions in Sichuan Province, Yunnan and Guizhou Plateau. The number of horses in Northeast, Northwest and North China accounts for three-fourths of the country's total.

　　十二生肖

　　十二生肖的产生，有着天文学的背景。在原始时代，先民们体验着寒暑交替的循环往复。宋代洪皓《松漠纪闻》载:“女真旧绝小，正朔所不及，其民皆不知纪年，问则曰‘我见青草几度矣’，盖以草一青为一岁也。”宋代也记:“其俗每草青为一岁，有人问其岁，则日几草矣。”年又有观天者发现月亮盈亏周期可以用来丈量岁的长短，发现十二次月圆为一岁，这一发现，是初期历法最精度的成果之一，“十二”便视为传达天意的“天之大数”。天干需地支为伴，日月相对，天地相对，就非“十二”莫属了。

　　清代刘献《广阳杂记》引李长卿《松霞馆赘言》:“子何以属鼠也?日:天开于子，不耗则其气不开。鼠，耗虫也。于是夜尚未央，正鼠得令之候，故子属鼠。地辟于丑，而牛则开地之物也，故丑属牛。人生于寅，有生则有杀。杀人者，虎也，又寅者，畏也。可畏莫若虎，故寅属虎。卯者，日出之候。日本离体，而中含太阴玉兔之精，故卯属兔。辰者，三月之卦，正群龙行雨之时，故辰属龙。巳者，四月之卦，于时草茂，而蛇得其所。又，巳时蛇不上道，故属蛇。午者，阳极而一阴甫生。马者，至健而不离地，阴类也，故午属马。羊啮未时之草而茁.故未属羊。申时.日落而猿啼，且伸臂也，譬之气数，将乱则狂作横行，故申属猴。酉者，月出之时.月本坎体，而中含太阳金鸡之精，故酉属鸡。于亥中，猪则饮食之外无一所知，故亥属猪。”

　　关于十二生肖的排列，还有各种传说，这类故事，或似开心解闷的笑谈，或似贬恶扬善的寓言，文学成分较浓。但是.生肖座次的排定，绝非一朝一夕，也不是一代人所能完成的。最初未必就是一次提名十二种，也许只有四五个，也许曾有过超额的局面，后来优胜劣汰，定额定员并定位了，一直传至今日。