Strength and humility forged legend, Cheng Yuezhu reports.

The ox, the very symbol of toil and determination with its sharp-horned, muscular appearance, has a propensity to be steadfast and trustworthy, often humbly bowing its head, and working in the fields.

President Xi Jinping, in a speech at a New Year gathering held by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Dec 31, sums up three types of oxen we should learn from－the willing ox that serves the people, the trailblazer ox that makes new tracks, and the sturdy ox that struggles hard amid difficulties.

Friday heralds the Year of the Ox. In China's zodiac animal list, the ox comes second. As with almost all zodiac animals, the ox here is a translation from the Chinese character niu, which incorporates the diverse breeds of the bovine group, both the domestic and the feral.

In Chinese culture, the ox embodies a curious equilibrium between practicality and divinity. They are down-to-earth livestock toiling away in the soil, but meanwhile they are elevated to a prominent status in both ancient life and artistic creations.

A Chinese idyllic painting often shows a small child sitting on the back of an ox, leisurely playing a wooden flute, as they stroll forward alongside a paddy with mist-shrouded mountains in the distance.

In this pastoral imagery, the ox is a ubiquitous constituent, proving over thousands of years their qualities of diligence, stoicism and altruism, and living up to their noble reputation in Chinese culture.

The selfless image of the ox is expressed and reinforced by literary and artistic creations, an iconic example being the famous verse of writer and poet Lu Xun (1881-1936): Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers. Head-bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children, expressing his abhorrence of the suppressors and a resolution to devote himself to the people.

Although oxen have gradually retired from modern everyday life, their qualities remain relevant.