Editor's note: The Chinese zodiac, or "shengxiao," consists of 12 animal signs that mark the years. Each animal represents one year in a repeating 12-year cycle, which is calculated based on the ...

In the Han Dynasty, snakes also appeared often on patterns of xuanwu, a Chinese mythical creature that’s depicted as a snake ...

Although the rabbit was smaller than the other animals, it was clever and skilled at jumping, ultimately racing to secure ...