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When Did the Noble Hare Become a Common old Rabbit?

Posted: February 2nd, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Here’s hoping there’s an academic out there who can help. Every book I’ve ever read on China talks of the hare – 1951 was for instance always known as the Year of the Hare. I also remember references to hares in China in the 1980s. A hare is a different animal to a rabbit for sure. So why, all of a sudden, is it the year of the rabbit when it should be a hare? Is it not a little like declaring the year of the horse to now be the year of the mule? They’re close but hardly the same thing at all.

Can anyone help enlighten me here?

2 Comments on “When Did the Noble Hare Become a Common old Rabbit?”

  1. 1 Bill Rich said at 2:12 am on February 3rd, 2011:

    Simple. There is only one word in Chinese that refers both to hare and rabbit, and no one know which one they are talking about.

  2. 2 Carla said at 1:06 am on February 8th, 2011:

    野兔年 is too much of a mouthful.

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