At the Yinxu Ruins in Anyang
of Central China's Henan Province, remains of dogs have been found, dating back
to the Shang
Dynasty (1600-1046 BC).
The image of a simplified dog stands for "quan" (dog) among the pictographs
found on the tortoise shells or animal bones of the Shang Dynasty.
And in November 2002, archaeologists found 397 tombs and 18 horse-chariot
tombs belonging to the Eastern
Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC) in the centre of Luoyang
, Central China's Henan Province. In the largest chariot tomb, which included 53
horses and 26 chariots, experts unearthed the remains of seven dogs.
Wind and luck
The dog was also considered to be "god of the wind," according to Yi Jing (I
Ching), or Book of Changes, a more-than-four-thousand-year-old Chinese classic
of Fengshui masters.
Even today, members of the She ethnic group in Southeast China respect dogs
as their ancestors.
A painting in the collection of the National
Museum of China, titled "picture of ancestors," told how a dog transfigured
into a great general, married a She princess and became an ancestor of the
ethnic group.
As the "god of wind" or "general," the dog was considered a man's best friend
being both powerful and trustworthy, a suitable partner for the princess.
The She minority who live mainly in East China's Fujian
Province still worship the dog. On New Year's Eve, they put up a painting of
the God of Dog. The family members each held a piece of bone in the mouth and
crawl on four limbs around a table, then worship and sing towards the painting.
The ancient Chinese regarded the dog as a lucky sign. If a dog came to a
house, the family would happily accommodate the animal in the belief that it
would bring good fortune.
The colour of a dog also became the subject of fortune-telling.
Traditionally, the Chinese thought that yellow dogs were the most auspicious. A
yellow dog with a white tail would ensure that the owner did not need to worry
about food or clothing.
For white ones, if their heads were black, then the owners would become rich;
black tails of white dogs would predict that the owners could ride in chariots
for generations.
A black dog with white ears would help its owner to become an important
official. If its front legs were white, the owner would have many children.
Above all, they were indispensable in the lives of the people, so much so
that they were buried along with their owners in tombs of the royals of the Han
Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). And on the sides of the tombs they were depicted as
hunting, shepherding sheep or parading with the owners' entourage.
