The Chinese Zodiac: Origin and Inheritance of Millennia-Old Wisdom

A journey through the legends, cultural roots, and modern legacy of one of China’s most enduring traditions

I. The Time-Honored Legend of the “Zodiac Selection”

Among the tales about the origin of the Chinese Zodiac, the most widely spread and endearing one is the legend of “the Jade Emperor selecting the zodiac animals”. According to the legend, in ancient times, there was no unified way to count years or divide seasons in the world. To make it easier for people to keep track of their ages and mark the seasons, the Jade Emperor decided to select 12 representative creatures from all animals on earth to serve as the “Twelve Zodiac Animals” that would oversee different years.

Upon hearing the news, all animals were eager to participate. The cat and the rat were good friends. Since the cat was worried about oversleeping and missing the deadline, it asked the rat to wake it up early in the morning. However, the clever rat secretly set off in advance—and when the ox bowed its head to cross a river, the rat climbed onto the ox’s horn. When the ox reached the Heavenly Palace, the rat jumped off and dashed in first—this is how the “Rat (Zi)” became the first zodiac animal.

The full order of arrival formed the Twelve Zodiac Animals:

  1. Rat (Zi) – Clever and opportunistic
  2. Ox (Chou) – Diligent and steady
  3. Tiger (Yin) – Brave and powerful
  4. Rabbit (Mao) – Gentle and agile
  5. Dragon (Chen) – Noble and auspicious
  6. Snake (Si) – Wise and flexible
  7. Horse (Wu) – Energetic and free
  8. Goat (Wei) – Kind and calm
  9. Monkey (Shen) – Intelligent and playful
  10. Rooster (You) – Faithful and punctual
  11. Dog (Xu) – Loyal and protective
  12. Pig (Hai) – Honest and generous

Interestingly, the sleepy cat missed the selection and thus formed a grudge against the rat—adding a mythical touch to the natural phenomenon of “cats catching mice”.

II. Symbiosis with Earthly Branches: The Lunar Calendar Roots

If legends gave the Chinese Zodiac its “soul”, its integration with the Twelve Earthly Branches laid its “framework”. As early as the Pre-Qin period (before 221 BC), the ancient Chinese invented the “Ten Heavenly Stems” and “Twelve Earthly Branches” to record time, months, and years.

The Twelve Earthly Branches—”Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai”—were fully paired with zodiac animals by the Han Dynasty. Wang Chong, an Eastern Han thinker, recorded in Lunheng (Balanced Discourses): “Of the Zi branch, the beast is the rat; of the Mao branch, the beast is the rabbit”—the earliest document linking zodiacs to the Earthly Branches system.

The pairing follows natural habits of animals and the “temporal energy” of each branch:

  • Zi (11 PM–1 AM): Rats are most active at midnight → Zi = Rat
  • Chou (1 AM–3 AM): Oxen chew cud (symbolizing diligence) → Chou = Ox
  • Yin (3 AM–5 AM): Tigers hunt at dawn → Yin = Tiger

This connection reflects the ancient philosophy of “the unity of man and nature”, turning zodiacs into cultural carriers of time and natural energy.

III. From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Inheritance

Today, the Chinese Zodiac transcends year-counting—it acts as a “personality code”: People born in the Year of the Rat are often intelligent; those in the Year of the Ox are steady; and those in the Year of the Tiger are bold. These perceptions form a warm “cultural rapport” in Chinese interpersonal communication.

Zodiac culture also includes concepts like Liu He (mutual compatibility) (e.g., Rat & Ox) and Liu Chong (mutual conflict) (e.g., Tiger & Monkey)—embodying people’s wishes for harmonious relationships and smooth lives.

The most tangible modern legacy is zodiac figurines. These handcrafted pieces capture the essence of each animal: the agility of the Rat, the majesty of the Dragon, the loyalty of the Dog. They serve as:

  • Gifts for zodiac years (e.g., a Dragon figurine for someone born in the Year of the Dragon)
  • Feng shui decorations to optimize home energy
  • Cultural artifacts that bridge ancient wisdom and modern life

As a “cultural messenger” spanning millennia, the Chinese Zodiac lets the world feel the depth and vitality of traditional Chinese culture.