This year is the Year of the Ox (牛). In China, you can find that many ox images made of gold, wood, plastic, paper and stone in stores are on sale and on streets (celebrate) the return.
But why was the ox chosen to be one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs (生肖)? Centuries ago, most people made their living working on the farm. The ox was used to help plow (犁地) and carry heavy goods. The ox has long played important role in Chinese culture. Ancient Chinese poets and writers often described the ox in their (work). The animal (mention) many times by the poets in the Classic of Poetry.
The ox is considered as a symbol of diligence (勤奋) in Chinese culture. The phrase "the spirit of ox" means (solve) the problem that may present itself as an obstacle (障碍). The spirit is (great) valued and many people follow it in their work. When someone made a great (achieve) through hard work, people often use "niu", meaning "great", to describe him or her. Oxen never bully (欺负) the weak fear the strong. Those who were born in the Year of the Ox are often expected to be hardworking, honest and modest (谦虚的). It is almost impossible for(they) to try to get attention or look for praise.
