Born in the Year of the horse
The horse was important in ancient times for hunting, farming and warfare, and it is recognized as one of the six most important animals associated with humans, as well as one of the 12 zodiac animals of the Lunar Chinese Calendar. Horses symbolize luck, virtue and a progressive spirit, and most Chinese idioms about horses are positive. People have been welcoming the Year of the Horse in different ways, with those born in previous years of the horse wearing red clothing and red belts, each with their own story and expectations and dreams for their birth year.
| Zero year old A horse is projected on to the stomach of Yu Xuefei on Jan 5. The mother-to-be, 27, wanted to express her best wishes to her baby, who will be born in the Year of the Horse. Yu said horses symbolize goodness and freedom, and she hopes her baby will grow into a good person. Wei Xiaohao / China Daily |
| 12 years old Song Dawei, Jiang Yuqi and Tian Fangyi display their handiwork on Jan 7. The children study in the same handicraft class. They are in their final year of primary school, and good exam results and trips were their common wish. Feng Yongbin / China Daily |
| 24 years old Wang Weilin concentrates on getting the face just right on a ceramic horse. Wang is a postgraduate student at the Communication University of China in Beijing. The last 12 months were sweet and bitter, she said, as she was admitted into her favorite university for graduate studies but her grandmother also died. Feng Yongbin / China Daily |
| 48 years old Zhang Ke, used to work at an airport. But a trip to the Inner Mongolia autonomous region linked horses to his fate and he has been a horse trainer for the past 22 years. "The horse is an inoffensive animal and riding a horse can purify your mind," he said, adding that he feels he is becoming more like a horse. His 10-year-old daughter often comes to his yard to play with his four-legged friends, and Zhang said he hoped riding would become increasingly popular among Chinese youngsters, because it will help them get in touch with nature. Feng Yongbin / China Daily |
| 36 years old Yan Lei is a patrolman with the Fengtai Bureau of Public Safety in Beijing. Yan loves horses and said riding his motorcycle "feels like riding a horse". Yan is special because both his father and grandfather were born in horse years. He hopes to have a baby in the new year, too, which will make "a whole family of horses". Feng Yongbin / China Daily |
| 60 years old Zhang Guilan is a retired photography teacher, but she is still fond of teaching students. She often takes them to Austria or Sri Lanka to take photos and exchange cultural experiences. Her grandson is called Wenji, which means a good, smart horse. The name embodies her wishes that the boy can grow up healthy. Feng Yongbin / China Daily |
| 72 years old Du Yanxing used to be a mechanical engineer, but now he is fond of taking part in cultural activities. Du is proud to have the same virtues as a horse, as he is loyal, hardworking and ready to march forward. Besides wishing his daughter good luck in the new year, Du said he also wished that he could travel once by air. Feng Yongbin / China Daily |
(China Daily Africa Weekly 01/31/2014 page4)
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