Each animal explored properly: its Earthly Branch and fixed element, the myth of the Great Race that set the order, its place in the Yin-Yang cycle, and how it truly relates to the other eleven — allies, secret friends and clashes.
This series goes beyond the usual personality-trait lists — each page traces the animal's attested history (the cycle is documented at least as far back as the Han dynasty), the Great Race myth in full, its fixed element and Earthly Branch, an honest note on the animal-cycle traditions shared across Central and East Asia, and its real compatibility relationships within the wheel — not just a horoscope-column summary. Illustrated with genuine historical artifacts, including the Qing-dynasty Old Summer Palace bronze zodiac heads.