2006 is the Year of the Dog in China and some other countries. Xinhuanet.com, a Chinese online newspaper, has an article in English in honor of the Year of the Dog, explaining some of the history of dogs in China.

Dogs have had a long history in China. They were revered and respected, viewed as lucky signs, and used to tell fortunes.

Here are just some of the interesting facts from the article:

• Since the Stone Age, people have been portraying the dog in art, and Chinese museums boast a rich collection of bronzes, ceramics, paintings and jade artifacts that put dogs at the centre of their designs.

  It can be observed from these artworks that dogs were primarily hunting companions before the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), but became pets after people enjoyed an economic boom in the 7th century.

• The dog has also been worshipped as a totem in history and it played a role in the formation of time.

  The Chinese people started matching the 12 Earthly Branches with animals in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). The 12 Earthly Branches and 10 Heavenly Stems were used to record the passage of time in a 60-year cycle.

  The ancient Chinese calendar divided each day into 12 two-hour periods called “shichen.” Each period was matched with the 12 Earthly Branches and their symbolic animals. As number 11 among the animals, the dog represented 7 to 9 pm.

• The dog was the god who safeguarded people during the night, according to “Classics of Mountains and Seas” (Shanhaijing), a series of books about prehistoric tales written by unknown authors in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).
• The ancient Chinese regarded the dog as a lucky sign. If a dog came to a house, the family would happily accommodate the animal in the belief that it would bring good fortune.

  The colour of a dog also became the subject of fortune-telling. Traditionally, the Chinese thought that yellow dogs were the most auspicious. A yellow dog with a white tail would ensure that the owner did not need to worry about food or clothing.

Read more…

So celebrate the Year of the Dog by reading the rest of the article. I thought it was really interesting.

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