The Chinese zodiac animals are the twelve animals in China that match the twelve earthly branches and are mainly used to indicate the year of birth, including rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, and dog ,pig. The twelve zodiac animals are an important part of traditional Chinese culture.
As a long-standing symbol of folk culture, the Chinese zodiac has left behind a large number of poems, spring couplets, paintings, calligraphy and folk crafts depicting the images and symbolic meanings of the zodiac throughout the ages. In addition to China, many countries around the world issue zodiac stamps during the Spring Festival to express their blessings for the Chinese New Year.
The twelve zodiac animals of each country
In addition to China and countries such as Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and Vietnam that are influenced by Chinese culture, there are also twelve zodiac animals in some other countries, such as India, Iran, Russia, and Bulgaria. The twelve zodiac animals are also different in different countries.
:
| Country | Rat | Ox | Tiger | Rabbit | Dragon | Snake | Horse | Sheep | Monkey | Rooster | Dog | Pig |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Mouse 鼠 | Ox 牛 | Tiger 虎 | Rabbit 兔 | Dragon 龙 | Snake 蛇 | Horse 马 | Sheep 羊 | Monkey 猴 | Rooster 鸡 | Dog 狗 | Pig 猪 |
| Korean Peninsula | 쥐 Rat |
소 Ox |
범 Tiger |
토끼 Rabbit |
용 Dragon |
뱀 Snake |
말 Horse |
양 Goat |
원숭이 Monkey |
닭 Rooster |
개 Dog |
돼지 Pig |
| Vietnam | Rat |
(water buffalo) |
Tiger |
Dragon |
Snake |
Horse |
Goat |
Monkey |
Snake |
Dog |
Pig | |
| Japan | ||||||||||||
| Mongolia | Mouse | Ox | Tiger[2] | Rabbit | Dragon | Snake | Horse | Goat | Monkey | Chicken | Dog | Pig |
| Thailand | Mouse |
Ox |
Tiger |
Rabbit |
Dragon |
Snake |
Horse |
Goat |
Monkey |
Rooster |
Dog |
Pig |
| Malaysia | Tikus Mouse |
Lembu Ox |
Harimau Tiger |
Arnab Rabbit |
Naga Dragon |
Ular Snake |
Kuda Horse |
Kambing Goat |
Monyet Monkey |
Ayam Rooster |
Anjing Dog |
Babi Pig |
| Russia | Mouse | Ox | Tiger | Rabbit | Dragon | Snake | Horse | Goat | Monkey | Chicken | Dog | Pig |
| Kazakhstan | Mouse | Ox | Cheetah | Rabbit | Snail | Snake | Horse | Sheep | Monkey | Chicken | Dog | Wild Boar |
| India | Mouse | Ox | Lion | Rabbit | Snail | Snake | Horse | Sheep | Monkey | Chicken | Dog | Wild Boar |
| Arab countries | Mouse | Ox | Cheetah | Rabbit | Crocodile | Snake | Horse | Sheep | Monkey | Chicken | Dog | Wild Boar |
| Iran | Mouse | Ox | Tiger | Rabbit | Whale | Snake | Horse | Sheep | Monkey | Chicken | Dog | Wild Boar |
| Bulgaria | Mouse | Ox | Cat | Rabbit | Dragon | Snake | Horse | Sheep | Monkey | Chicken | Dog | Wild Boar |
| Egypt | Cow | Goat | Lion | Donkey | Crab | Snake | Dog | Cat | Crocodile | Flamingo | Ape | Eagle |
| Greece | Cow | Goat | Lion | Donkey | Crab | Snake | Dog | Cat | Crocodile | Flamingo | Ape | Eagle |
| Ancient Babylon | Cat | Dog | Snake | Dung beetle | Donkey | Lion | Sheep | Ox | Falcon | Monkey | Crocodile | Flamingo |
Works related to the Chinese zodiac
There are many literature, films, dramas, and works based on or themed after the Chinese zodiac. Among them, there are a large number of works in the ACG field. Please select the following items to browse:
Animation
- Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf - the first seven animated films are based on the zodiac of that year.
- The Super Adventure (2009)
- Desert Trek: Adventure of the Lost Totem (2010)
- Moon Castle: The Space Adventure (2011)
- Mission Incredible: Adventures on the Dragon's Trail (2012)
- The Mythical Ark (2013)
- Meet the Pegasus (2014)
- Amazing Pleasant Goat (2015)
- Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Rangers - Anime produced by SHAFT, with a total of 39 episodes.
- Battle Spirits Double Drive - a TV animation derived from the card game "Battle Souls" and produced by BN Pictures . The prototypes of the twelve divine emperors are the twelve zodiac animals.
- Jackie Chan Adventures - The twelve talismans in the work are based on the twelve zodiac animals.
- Minions - an animated film produced by Illumination Entertainment . The twelve zodiac stones in the work can transform the characters into the mythical beasts corresponding to the twelve zodiac signs within a limited time.
Manga
- Hunter x Hunter - a manga by Japanese mangaka Yoshihiro Tomi . In it, most of the twelve top cadres of the "Twelve Earthly Branches" organization are based on the twelve zodiac animals.
Novels
- Juni Taisen - a novel originally written by Nishio Ishin and with character design by Hikaru Nakamura . The twelve warriors who appear in the work are based on the twelve zodiac signs, and the names of the characters are also adapted from the pronunciation of the twelve zodiac signs in Japanese.
Games
- Digimon - a game released by Bandai. The twelve Devas are based on the Chinese zodiac animals.
- Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time - a tower defense game developed by PopCap Games. Its international version of the "Lunar Zoo Year (Lunar Animal Year)" series of plants, the Chinese version of kiwi and The prototypes of the "Twelve Zodiac" family plants are all twelve zodiac animals.
Other works
- GIRL ARMS - "GA12 Zodiac" twelve zodiac images.
Stamps
- In 1950, Japan issued the world's first zodiac stamp, a tiger stamp for the Gengyin year in 1950. Since then, many countries have also begun to issue zodiac stamps. China issued its first zodiac stamp in 1980, a monkey stamp for the lunar calendar Gengshen year. By the end of 2024 So far, 46 zodiac stamps have been issued for the 2025 Lunar New Year Snake stamps.