The twelve zodiac animals are unique to China.
The twelve zodiac signs are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig, which are assigned to the twelve earthly branches in order. They are the Chinese folk method of calculating age. It is also an ancient chronology.
The origin of the twelve zodiac signs
There is a clear and systematic record of the twelve zodiac signs in "Lunheng". From his records in "Mao Shi Chapter", "Poisonous Words Chapter" and "Ridicule Chapter", we can see that the following are rat, ugly ox, Yin tiger, Mao rabbit, Chen dragon, Si snake, Wu horse, Wei sheep, Shen The concepts of monkey, rooster, dog and pig were quite clear in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Second: In the "Book of Zhou" Volume 11 "Jin Dang Gonghu Zhuan", the zodiac signs have been explained in detail. For example: "In the past, we were brothers who were born in Wuchuan Town. The older one was born in the year of rat, the younger one was in the year of rabbit, and you are in the year of snake." Third: According to the archaeological excavated data "Rishu", it can be seen that the Qin Dynasty has roughly divided the twelve earthly branches into the ten The two beasts are connected. (Although the twelve beasts at that time were different from the twelve beasts later).
Fourth: In the ancient books of the Pre-Qin Dynasty, such as "Book of Songs. Xiaoya. Auspicious Days", "Book of Rites" Volume 17 "Yue Ling", "Wuyue Spring and Autumn" Volume 4 "Helv Nei Zhuan" , there are also some records, but whether it is the chronology of the twelve zodiac animals is still controversial. Judging from the above examples, there were twelve animals, or twelve zodiac animals, before the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and even in the Zhou Dynasty.
This shows that the Twelve Beasts have a long history in China, and it also shows that the Twelve Beasts were invented by the Chinese themselves, rather than being introduced from the West or other places. It is the Central Plains region of China.