The myth behind the Chinese zodiac - Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen

What’s your sign? In Western astrology, it’s a constellation determined by when your birthday falls in the calendar. But according to the Chinese zodiac (生肖), it’s your shuxiang, meaning the animal assigned to your birth year. Of the many myths explaining these animal signs and their arrangement, the most enduring one is that of The Great Race. Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen recounts this classic myth.

Lesson by Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen, animation by Marta Prokopová.

[glide]

I’m half Chinese and seeing the Voice Actor able to pronounce everything in Mandarin correctly just proves how good this channel is.

[adg]

Love how the dog just frolicked and doesn't seem to care about his or her place in the race.

[_emmachong]

Anyone else remember hearing about how the mouse tricked the cat so that it could take place instead of the cat.

[huifeng]

My favorite story about the zodiac was not mentioned: The cat also got an invitation for the race. Because it is sleeping all day, it asked it´s friend the mouse to wake it up on time. The mouse, knowing that the cat would make it through the river faster than itself, said yes, but did not do it. The result: The cat got up too late and did not make it into the circle. Ever since then, it resents the mouse and catches it whenever it can.

[thinksexy]

Your Chinese pronounciation in this video is prefect.

[dracodracarys]

Imagine if it was Australia who had invented the lunar zodiac, we'd have a Year of the Kangaroo, Year of the Koala, Year of the Platypus, Year of the Wombat....

[ericwang]

I thought the story was based around why the cat isn't one of the animals. The cat asked the rat to wake it up before the race started, but the rat didn't and he missed the race.

[yvettebyvexxi]

1:50

I loved that the monkey and the rooster gave the 8th place to the sheep “who had been the most comforting and harmonious of them.”

[mrflip-flop]

"The dragon stopped to help some creatures get across."

1:26 _literally flies over them_

[jasondeng]

dragon: nice. big race, idc. help some little animals lol lmao

[christiely]

The story I’ve heard was that there were 13 zodiacs the very last being the cat who didn’t make the top 12 because it got tricked by the mouse and almost drowned in the water. Thus explaining why cats hate mice and why they’re afraid of water

[NikkisTarot]

Did anyone else say “AWWWW” when they told us about the sheep monkey and rooster lol, those 3 are BFF ! Lol

[katsu_papi]

Long ago, the twelve zodiacs lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Jade Emperor, master of all five elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished..

[laatmemetrustkutgoogle]

"oh my god that's such a yang water Dragon thing to say"


"Shuuut uuppp Kelsey! I'm a ying metal monkey."

"Noo waaayyy me too!"

[catorui]

me a chinese person who already knows this story: mmm yes interesting

[Xynful]

Thailand: Dragons don't exist so let's replace it with a mythical snake

Edit: I swear, people who are still replying saying Naga means Dragon, YES! I KNOW! I've read the replies already!

[jeb.]

What I love about this video is on how these three animals, which are the sheep, rooster and monkey, helped each other finishing the race. Goes to show that great trio did really exist way back then.

[shivani]

I’m not Chinese or anything but the pronunciation just seems so perfect

[HRfromJohn]

although really good, i remember a part about the cat, when told by my parents. the cat and mouse were best friends but half way the mouse pushed the cat off and he never made it to the finish line. thats why cats chase mice

[non-pexn]

PROPS TO THIS VOICE OVER PERSON THE CHINESE PRONUNCIATION AND THE TONES