Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses a Chinese Lunar New Year reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 23, 2020.
As the Spring Festival approaches, many Chinese families have bought rat-themed decorations to give their homes a more festive atmosphere. You may know that 2020 is the Year of the Rat, but how did such an unpopular rodent become the top symbol of the Chinese zodiac? To answer this question, it is first necessary to have a general understanding of the Chinese zodiac.
Visitors pose for pictures with a greeting sign to celebrate the Year of the Rat in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 21, 2020.
A Yemeni student shows his Chinese calligraphy work in Hainan University in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, Jan. 22, 2020.
