Papercutting showing a colourful snake among the flowers

The Snake is the sixth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac.

The Year of the Snake (蛇) is associated with the Earthly Branch (地支) symbol Sì (巳). The Lunar New Year Day of the Year of Yǐ sì (乙巳年) falls on January 29, 2025 (Wednesday) and ends on February 16, 2026 (Monday), Chinese New Year’s Eve.

The Chinese lunar calendar is made up of ten Heavenly Stems (天干) and 12 Earthly Branches (地支) as follows:

天干 (Ten Heavenly Stems) :

甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸

地支 (Twelve Earthly Branches)

子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥

十二生肖 (12-year cycle in the Chinese zodiac)：

鼠牛虎兔龍蛇馬羊猴雞狗豬

rat ox tiger rabbit dragon snake horse goat monkey rooster dog pig

Years of the Snake include 2025, 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953 …

Chinese Zodiac years are based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Interested people born in January or February can check the date of the Chinese New Year to confirm their birth sign, for example at the following site:

https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/snake.htm

In Chinese culture, the Snake is the most mystical animal among the 12 zodiac animals. Snakes tend to act according to their own judgments while remaining private and reticent. They are determined to accomplish their goals and hate to fail.

The Snakes symbolizes wisdom, power and intelligence.

Snakes are an important motif in Chinese mythology.

There are various myths, legends, and folk tales about snakes.

According to one version of the legends, Huaxu (華胥) gave birth to a twin brother and sister, Fuxi (伏羲) and Nüwa (女媧). Fuxi and Nüwa are said to be creatures that have faces of human and bodies of snakes. It was believed that they worshipped snakes.

Nüwa created humanity due to her loneliness, which grew more intense over time. She moulded yellow earth into the shape of people.

An ancient painting of Nüwa and Fuxi unearthed at the Astana Graves (阿斯塔那古墓) in Xinjiang (新疆). These artifacts can be dated back from the 4th century to the 8th century.  Nüwa and Fuxi are said to be creatures that have faces of human and bodies of snakes.

 

Snake Artifacts throughout centuries

Neolithic Age (新石器時代), Longshan Culture (龍山文化), painted pottery plate (彩繪陶盤)(unearthed in Shanxi, 山西)
Drawing of the above pottery plate showing the snake

 

 

Shang (商) Dynasty, Bronze statue from Fuhao’s tomb in Anyang, Henan (河南安陽婦好墓銅尊)
Ink-rubbing of the snake pattern of the above artifact

 

Warring States Period (戰國), Two Birds and Two Snakes Drum Stand (雙鳥雙蛇鼓座架), circa 475 – 221 BCE
Details of the above artifact showing the pair of snakes

 

Mawangdui silk banner (馬王堆帛畫)

Han (漢) Dynasty, Mawangdui silk banner (馬王堆帛畫), circa 168 BCE, showing Nüwa (女媧) on the top part of the banner.
This Funeral Banner of Lady Dai is the most famous of marvels recovered from the 2,200-year-old Han Dynasty site of Mawangdui near Changsha, China.
Details of the banner showing Nüwa having human face and a body of snake
Line drawing of Nüwa in the banner

 

Xuán Wǔ, 玄武 (Dark Warrior), a tortoise-and-snake creature

Han (漢) Dynasty, tile end (瓦當) with Xuanwu (玄武), tortoise and snake pattern
Ink-rubbing of similar end tile of Xuanwu
Han (漢) Dynasty, Xuanwu pattern on a bronze mirror

 

Ceramic artifacts

Ming (明) Dynasty, Wanli (萬曆) Five Coloured ‘Five Poison’ porcelain plate (五毒瓷盤)(snake, scorpion, toad, centipede, spider)
Details of the snake on the plate

 

Ming (明) Dynasty, Wanli Blue-and-White Five Poison Porcelain Plate
The underside of the plate showing the snake (bottom right)

 

Qing (清) dynasty, white jade snake

 

Twelve Old Summer Palace bronze heads

The Twelve Old Summer Palace bronze heads are a collection of bronze fountain heads in the shape of the Chinese zodiac animals that was part of a water clock fountain in front of the Haiyantang (海晏堂) building of the Old Summer Palace (圓明園) in Beijing. The statues would spout out water from their mouths to tell the time.

The bronze-cast heads of the stone statues were among the treasures looted during the destruction of the Old Summer Palace by British and French expeditionary forces (英法聯軍之役) in 1860 during the Second Opium War (1856-1860).

Replica of Old Summer Palace bronze snake head.

Chinese paintings on snakes

Song (宋) Dynasty, Anonymous, Details of Search Mountain Picture (搜山圖)

 

Song (宋) Dynasty , attributed to Li Gonglin (李公麟) (1049 – 1106 Details of Xīyuè Jiàng Líng Tú (西岳降靈圖)
Ming (明) Dynasty, Chen Hongshou (陳洪綬)(1598- 1652), Turtle and Snake (龜蛇圖)

 

Hua Yan (華嵒)(1682—1756) Snake, ink and watercolour on paper

 

Ju Lian (居廉 )(1828 – 1904), Snake,  album leaf, ink and colours on paper

 

Xu Beihong (徐悲鴻)(1895-1953), Snake, ink and watercolour on paper

 

Qi Baishi (齊白石)(1864 – 1957), Snake, ink and watercolour on paper

 

 

Snake skin and Chinese Music

Python skin is used to make erhu 二胡 (Chinese ‘violin’) and sanxian 三弦 (Chinese ‘banjo’). The python skin resonates and gives the instrument an unique and melancholy timbre. This makes Chinese music very special.

Erhu with 2 strings and a bow
Python skin mounted on the erhu

 

Watch “Alto Erhu. The Moon’s Reflection on the Second Spring (Alto Erhu) – Song Fei”二泉映月（低音二胡）- 宋飞 on YouTube

https://youtu.be/CRnQgQyNKgs?si=77XmiomLBWfH65kS 

Sanxian (三弦), a plucked instrument with 3 strings
Python skin mounted on Sanxian

Watch “Sanxian – Waves Washing the Sand 大浪淘沙” on YouTube

https://youtu.be/pyJe0HdxCyk?si=V8yL-6UzpyhNUHp4 

 

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor P Lam for his consistent advice and support throughout the years.

 

Bibliography 

中国剪纸 Paper Cut in China 十二生肖 The twelve symbol animals 漢坤東方出品

Bjaaland Welch, Patricia (2008) Chinese Art- A guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery Tuttle Publishing ISBN: 978-08048-3864-1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Summer_Palace_bronze_heads

ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_in_Chinese_mythology

陈相峰(2012), 画室必备 • 中国画技法图典 • 鱗介篇, 湖北美术出版社, ISBN 978-7-5394-4888-6