(New Year's news) From the Jade Rabbit 5,000 years ago to the "Rabbit Yuanyuan" Experts reveal the secrets of Chinese rabbit love
China News Agency, Hefei, January 21st, title: From the Jade Rabbit 5,000 years ago to the "Rabbit Yuanyuan", experts reveal the secrets of Chinese rabbit love
China News Agency reporter Zhang Qiang
"On the 'rabbit-shaped jade comb back' unearthed from the Lingjiatan site in Anhui, the image of the rabbit was used on the comb and the crown, which shows that as early as 5,000 years ago, the rabbit not only entered the life of the Chinese ancestors, but also Loved by them." Meng Qian, deputy director of the planning and communication department of Anhui Museum, said in an interview with a reporter from China News Agency recently.
As the Chinese Lunar Year of the Rabbit approaches, Anhui Museum has gradually become a tourist check-in place. Tourists and citizens are keen to "find" rabbits in the collection of cultural relics and exhibitions.
Among them, the "rabbit-shaped jade comb back" has attracted much attention.
The Lingjiatan site is located in Hanshan County, Anhui Province. It is a central settlement site of the Neolithic Age from 5800 to 5300 years ago. It is called "the dawn of ancient Chinese civilization". One of the cultural centers".
The "rabbit-shaped jade comb back" is off-white, the surface is polished and smooth, and the upper part is carved in the shape of a rabbit.
"According to the twelve zodiac signs of Chinese folk culture, I belong to the rabbit. I am very happy to experience traditional Chinese culture and feel the atmosphere of the Chinese New Year at close range." The Lingjiatan Cultural Exhibition held at the Anhui Museum also attracted Anhui from Azerbaijan. The attention of Wang Zi, an international student at the university.
This year is Wang Zi's third Spring Festival in China.
Seeing the jade rabbit unearthed in Lingjiatan, he was very excited: "A few simple carvings have shown the cute and lively image of the rabbit. This was more than 5,000 years ago, and the Chinese culture is really extensive and profound."
"In fact, rabbit culture runs through the entire process of Chinese civilization. Chinese people in all dynasties have a soft spot for rabbits, which can be seen from the unearthed cultural relics." Bian, Director of the Planning and Exchange Department of Anhui Museum and member of the Yangtze River Delta Cultural Relics Expert Library Jian said that in the Anhui Museum's collection of cultural relics, there are dozens of sets of cultural relics related to rabbits in various ages. The collections with rabbits as the main body and theme include paintings, bronze mirrors, ornaments, inserts, ancient rare books, etc.
According to Bian Jian, in traditional Chinese culture, rabbits have auspicious connotations such as spit spring and open things, have ample food and clothing, and live a long life. Among the twelve zodiac signs, "Mao opens the gate of heaven, and rabbits welcome all things" is a very typical auspicious meaning.
"The Chinese zodiac is said to have been established by the Yellow Emperor. The earliest documented records can be traced back to the pre-Qin period. The formation of the twelve zodiac reflects the animal worship consciousness of early humans and reflects the friendly relationship between Chinese people and animals."
Rabbit master, rabbit head hat, rabbit lamp, "Eagle on rabbit", paper-cut pattern "snake coiled rabbit"... Bian Jian said that images of rabbits also appear in a large number of Chinese myths and folk art creations.
Today, the Chinese people also regard the zodiac as the mascot of the Spring Festival and a symbol of the customary culture of the year.
Located in the south of Tianzhu Mountain World Geopark in Anqing City, Anhui Province, the Yanghuo Paleontological Fossil Site is the fossil discovery site of the world's earliest rabbit-shaped animal, the Anhui pika.
The iconic four incisors of this year's Spring Festival Gala mascot "Tu Yuanyuan" are taken from the typical characteristics of the ecological restoration image of the Anhui pika fossil.
At the Yanghuo Paleontological Fossil Site, the reporter carefully observed the rock formation through the protective fence, and saw many newly exposed tiny fossil fragments.
According to Mao Lei, Ph.D. of paleontology from Anhui Provincial Geological Museum, there are many Cenozoic paleontological origins in Anhui, and the most representative one is the buried hill fauna. This fossil origin is also the origin of paleontological fossils under national key protection in China. An important part of the Geopark.
The Anhui model pika lived in the early Paleocene 62 million years ago. It is not only the earliest "rabbit" discovered in China, but also provides evidence for the "homology of pikas" in paleontology.
Shu Hanbing, deputy director of the Management Committee of Tianzhu Mountain Scenic Area, said that as tourists started to "find the source of rabbits", Tianzhu Mountain relied on its natural resources such as "one of the birthplaces of mammals in Asia" and "a treasure house of ancient vertebrate fossils". At the same time, Anhui pika microfilm and winter tour series products were released to promote the recovery of the tourism market.
(Finish)