In Chinese New Year 2016, it was the Year of the Monkey. The monkey is often seen as clever and mischievous in Chinese culture. It represents intelligence and agility. There are many stories about monkeys in Chinese mythology, like the Monkey King in 'Journey to the West' who was extremely intelligent and had great powers.
Well, one famous story about Chinese animal years is the Great Race. It was said that all the animals were invited to race across a river to determine the order of the Chinese zodiac. The rat was very clever. It hitched a ride on the ox's back and just before reaching the shore, it jumped off and won the race, becoming the first in the zodiac cycle.
The story about the Monkey in Chinese animal years is also popular. The Monkey is often depicted as mischievous and intelligent. There are stories of a magical Monkey who could perform amazing feats, like flying through the air and changing shapes. This reflects the idea that those born in the Monkey year are creative and quick - witted. These stories are not only entertaining but also have cultural significance, as they help to define the characteristics associated with each animal year in Chinese culture.
Once upon a time, there was a race among the animals in China. The rat, being very sly, hitched a ride on the ox's back. Just as they were about to reach the finish line, the rat jumped off and crossed first. So, in the Chinese zodiac, the rat is the first animal.
An example of a famous Chinese and foreign short essay describing animals is as follows:
In The Little Prince, the fox said to the little prince,"The fox said,'Three foxes sang a song.' The second fox said,'The sweetest songs come from the tiniest sound.' I am a fox, my voice is very small, so I am very intoxicated. The third fox said,'You are beautiful, but you are small.' Therefore, we should cherish our voices because they are small and precious."
2 In "Dream of the Red Chamber", Jia Baoyu wrote during the Lantern Festival,"It's easy to appreciate flowers, but difficult to recognize them. Who by the river has seen the moon first? When did the moon on the river first shine on me? Life is endless from generation to generation. The river moon is only similar year after year. I don't know who Jiang Yue is waiting for, but I see the Yangtze River sending water." This poem described the beauty of the moon and the truth of the short life.
3 In The Scholars, Feng Dao said to the cow: "The cow has four legs, two ears, one mouth and one nose. It is also covered with hair. What value do you think it has?" This passage described the appearance of the cow but also revealed the social reality of "materialistic desires".
In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong said to Tang Sanzang,"Master, although the lips are important, the tongue is the most powerful." If the tongue could speak, then the world-sized language of the Milky Way would not be able to speak." This passage described the functions of the human lips and tongue, and also demonstrated Sun Wukong's love for Buddhism and his determination to practice.
One popular Chinese Animal New Year story is about the Great Race. All the animals were invited by the Jade Emperor to take part in a race across a river. The rat was very cunning. It hitched a ride on the ox's back. Just as they were about to reach the shore, the rat jumped off and won the race. That's why in the Chinese zodiac cycle, the rat is the first animal.
The Chinese zodiac animal race story is about a race to determine the order of the zodiac animals. The rat, being clever, hitched a ride on the ox's back and just before the finish line, jumped ahead to be the first. Then came the ox in second place. The tiger, strong and fast, was third. The rabbit hopped along and came fourth. The dragon could have been first but stopped to help others, so it was fifth. The snake slithered in sixth. The horse was seventh, followed by the goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig in that order.
The significance of the Chinese zodiac animal race story is that it gives an origin to the Chinese zodiac cycle. It helps people remember the order of the twelve zodiac animals easily.
The Chinese New Year is associated with a 12 - year cycle of animals. Legend has it that the Jade Emperor decided to hold a race to select the animals for the cycle. The rat was clever and hitched a ride on the ox's back and jumped off at the last moment to win first place. Then came the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig in order according to the story.