Chinese zodiac

The Chinese zodiac animals vary by country. What is a dragon in Korea is a seagull in India, a whale in Iran, and a snail in Central Asia. In Vietnam, the "rabbit" position is held by a cat.

The Chinese character '羊,' read as 'yang' (meaning "sheep"), likely depicts a goat instead. When it was created, goats were far more common in East Asia. The "Year of the Sheep" in the Chinese zodiac was originally closer to the Year of the Goat.