DogsareimportantinChina.Peopleseethemasfriends.Theyguardhomes.Theyareloyal.Somedogsareeaten.Thisisnotcommonnow.Itisanoldhabit.Peopledebatethis.Manypeoplelovetheirdogs.Theytreatthemlikefamily.

DogsarelovedintheWest.Theyarefamilymembers.Peoplebuythemgifts.Theysleepinbeds.Lawsprotectdogs.Itiswrongtohurtadog.Mostpeopledonoteatdogmeat.Theyfindtheideaupsetting.

ThecatisasymbolinChina.Itcanmeangoodluck.Somepeoplebelievecatsbringmoney.The"LuckyCat"isapopularstatue.Catsarealsokeptaspets.Theycatchmice.Theyareindependent.

CatsarepopularintheWest.Peoplekeepthemindoors.Theyareseenascleanandclever.Someculturesseeblackcatsasbadluck.Othersseethemasjustpets.Peoplebuyspecialfoodforcats.Theytakethemtothevet.

ThedragonisagreatcreatureinChina.Itisasymboloftheemperor.Itmeanspowerandgoodluck.Itbringsrainforcrops.Itisakindanimal.Itispartoffestivals.Peoplerespectthedragon.

ThedragonintheWestisdifferent.Itisoftenamonster.Ithaswings.Itbreathesfire.Heroesfightdragonsinstories.Dragonsguardtreasure.Theyaresymbolsofdangerandfear.Theyarenotreal,butstoriesaboutthemareexciting.

ThepigisananimalinChina.Itisasourceoffood.Porkisverycommon.Thepigalsomeansgoodfortune.Inthezodiac,thepigyearisforhonestyandhappiness.Peopledonotkeeppigsaspets.

PigsarefarmanimalsintheWest.Peopleeatpork.Somepeoplekeepsmallpigsaspets.Theythinkpigsaresmartandclean.Instories,pigscanbesillyorwise.Thecharacter"Babe"isacleverpig.

BirdshavemanymeaningsinChina.Thephoenixisabeautifulbird.Itisthequeen'ssymbol.Itmeansrebirthandgrace.Thecraneisforlonglife.Peopleliketowatchbirds.Theykeepthemincages.

BirdsarelovedintheWest.Peoplefeedthemingardens.Theeagleisasymboloffreedomandstrength.Itisonmoneyandflags.Peoplekeepparrotsaspets.Theyteachthemtotalk.Birdsinstoriescansingorgivewarnings.

HorseswereveryimportantinoldChina.Theyhelpedinwarandtravel.Theywereasignofwealthandspeed.Peopleadmiredstronghorses.Thehorseisoneofthezodiacanimals.Itmeansenergyandfreedom.

HorseswereimportantintheWest.Theyworkedonfarms.Theycarriedsoldiers.Nowpeopleridethemforsport.Theyaresymbolsofbeautyandpower.WildhorsesmeantheAmericanWestandfreedom.

Ratsandmiceareseendifferently.InChina,theratisthefirstzodiacanimal.Itmeansbeingsmartandabletosurvive.Ratsarenotloved,buttheyarerespectedintheculture.Micearepests.

IntheWest,miceandratsaremostlypests.Theyeatfoodandspreadsickness.Instories,micecanbecleverheroes."MickeyMouse"isafamouscharacter.Peoplehavepetrats.Theythinktheyaresmartandfriendly.

BatsaregoodluckinChina.Thewordforbatsoundslikethewordforgoodluck.Batsongiftsmeanhappinessandlonglife.Peoplearenotafraidoftheminart.

BatsarelinkedtodarknessintheWest.Theyareinstoriesaboutvampires.Peoplethinktheyarescary.Theyareactiveatnight.Somepeoplethinkbatsareugly.Butbatsarehelpful.Theyeatinsects.

Thesedifferencescomefromhistory.Chinahadfarmsforalongtime.Animalswereforworkandfood.Storiestaughtlessonsaboutlife.Therelationshipwaspractical.

TheWesthaddifferentideas.Religionandphilosophyshapedviews.Someanimalswereseenaspureorimpure.StoriesfromGreeceandRomehadgodsinanimalshapes.Later,sciencechangedhowpeopleseeanimals.

Lifeisdifferentnow.Citiesarebig.Peopledonotlivenearfarms.Petsaremoreimportant.Theyarefriends.ThisistrueinChinaandtheWest.Theoldideasarestillthere.Theyareinart,stories,andholidays.

PeopleinChinalearnWesternideas.PeopleintheWestlearnaboutChineseculture.Theviewsofanimalsaremixing.Somehabitsarechanging.Butthedeepmeaningsarestillstrong.Theyarepartofwhoweare.

Thewaywetreatanimalsshowsourvalues.Itshowswhatwethinkaboutnature.Itshowswhatwethinkaboutlife.Lookingatanimalshelpsusunderstandeachother.Ithelpsusseedifferentwaysofliving.