Take the character '羊' (yáng, meaning sheep or goat). It is also a pictograph. The two dots on top are like the horns of a sheep and the overall shape gives an impression of a sheep's head. Sheep were important for their wool, meat, and in some religious and cultural ceremonies in Chinese history.
For the character '牛' (niú, meaning ox). It is a simple yet effective pictograph. It looks like the head of an ox with its horns. Oxen were used for plowing fields in ancient China, so this character is quite significant in the context of agricultural society. The shape of the character has remained relatively unchanged over time, still clearly representing the animal it refers to.
One interesting origin story is for the character '日' (rì, which means sun). It is said to be a pictograph that looks like the sun, with a round shape in the middle representing the sun's body and perhaps the strokes around it could be seen as the rays of the sun.
In the case of dairy cows, female cows are bred to improve milk production. Breeders analyze the genetic potential of the heifers (young female cows). They might choose a bull with high milk - producing genetics for breeding. This helps in increasing the overall milk yield in the herd over generations.
There are many dogs in Vietnam. I once saw a dog that was chasing its own tail in a small village. It went round and round, and the local kids were giggling non - stop. The dog seemed to be having a great time too, completely unaware of how silly it looked.
In some areas, there are stories of crows recognizing human faces. There was a case where a crow would attack a particular person who had once bothered its nest. It's shocking that animals can have such complex cognitive abilities like remembering a face and taking revenge.
One story is about two best friends who volunteered at an animal shelter together. They spent their weekends cleaning, feeding, and playing with the animals there. This experience not only brought them closer as friends but also allowed them to make a positive impact on the lives of the animals. They shared many beautiful memories during their time at the shelter.
There is also a story about a sea turtle and a small fish. The sea turtle had a piece of plastic stuck on its shell which was making it difficult to swim. A small fish noticed and started to nibble at the plastic until it was removed. After that, the sea turtle and the fish would often swim together, sharing food sources and protecting each other from potential threats.
Well, in the story about the animals and the Chinese calendar order, the animals had a competition. The Rat, being small but smart, managed to be first. It used the situation to its advantage. The Ox was strong and steady but didn't expect the Rat's trick. Then the Tiger showed up. Tigers are known for their dominance. In the story, this order was set. And in Chinese culture, this order of animals is used to represent different things. People born in the year of the Rat are thought to be shrewd, those in the year of the Ox are seen as reliable, and those in the year of the Tiger are considered brave, all based on this story - related order in the Chinese calendar.
The 12 animals of the zodiac story is an important part of Chinese culture. It is used to represent years in a 12 - year cycle. Chinese people often use their zodiac sign to calculate their age in a traditional way. It also appears in many traditional Chinese art forms like painting and sculpture.
One well - known Chinese origin story is about Pangu. According to the legend, in the beginning, the universe was like an egg, and Pangu was inside it. As he grew, he pushed the sky and the earth apart, creating the world as we know it. His body parts then became different elements of nature, like his eyes becoming the sun and the moon.
Each year in the Chinese New Year cycle is named after one of the 12 animals.