As the world prepares to welcome the Year of the Snake on January 29, 2025, an ancient mural in China has sparked debate, suggesting that 2025 might actually be the Year of the Cat.
A tomb mural discovered in 2006 in Weishan, Hunan province, challenges the traditional Chinese zodiac. The artwork, now on display at the prestigious Yuelu Academy, depicts 12 anthropomorphized animals dressed in bureaucratic attire. However, instead of a snake, the mural features a cat, also placing the zodiac animals in a different order from today’s cycle. This has led to speculation that the original zodiac might have once included a cat before the snake replaced it.
The revelation has ignited discussions across Chinese social media, with some expressing skepticism while others enthusiastically embrace the idea of a Year of the Cat. This wouldn’t be unprecedented in Asian traditions, as the Vietnamese zodiac already replaces the rabbit with the cat and the ox with the buffalo, reflecting local cultural adaptations.
The tomb in which the mural was found belonged to individuals from a lower social stratum, meaning the artwork was not bound by the rigid conventions seen in royal or noble tombs. This makes it an invaluable artifact for researchers studying ancient Chinese society, art, and material culture.
Xie Yifeng, head of the history department at Yuelu Academy, suggests that the mural may date back to before the Song dynasty (960–1279). In this period, regional variations in zodiac traditions were more common, and Weishan may have been one of the few areas where the cat held a place in the zodiac cycle.
The absence of the cat in today’s Chinese zodiac is often attributed to a mythological race orchestrated by the Jade Emperor, a deity in Chinese folklore. According to legend, the rat either tricked the cat into sleeping through the race or pushed it into a river, ensuring that it never made it to the finish line. The rat, meanwhile, rode on the ox’s horn and secured first place, securing its place at the beginning of the zodiac cycle.
With much of Chinese mythology passed down orally, variations of this story exist. Some believe that history is written by the winners—so not the cat in this case. However, the rediscovery of this mural raises questions: Could history be rewritten? Is 2025 the year the cat finally makes its return to the zodiac?
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