According to folklore, the sequence of the animals in the Chinese zodiac was determined in a \u201cGreat Race<\/a>\u201d hosted by the Jade Emperor over 2,000 years ago. All the world\u2019s animals were invited, but only 12 showed up, and the order in which they crossed the finish line became the order they would appear on the ever-repeating lunar zodiac cycle. Sociable Rat came first, kind and gentle Pig came last, and slithering in at number six was Snake.<\/p>\n Thousands of years later, each lunar year is still said to possess certain characteristics of its animal namesake, and those born in each year are believed to personify those traits. True to the serpents of its name, people born in the year of the snake are held<\/a> to be cunning, intelligent and charming.<\/p>\n This January 29, people all over the world are ushering in the Year of the Snake, celebrating with their own iterations<\/a> of Lunar New Year traditions. To toast this wisdom-suffused slice of the Chinese zodiac cycle, we summoned six of nature\u2019s cleverest serpents and paired them with \u201cchengyu<\/a><\/em>,\u201d usually four-character Chinese idioms that are used to convey wisdom. Most chengyu are derived from traditional Chinese folklore, like the story of the Great Race itself. From creative hunting tactics to cheeky defense mechanisms, these snake species substantiate the famed qualities chronicled in the Jade Emperor\u2019s long-ago competition.<\/p>\n Tibetan snake in Hot Springs Is Hunting Fish<\/p>\n \u6b7b\u91cc\u9003\u751f (Si li tao sheng<\/em>): \u201cTo find a way out of certain death\u201d<\/h2>\n
Tibetan hot-spring snake<\/h2>\n
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