As the Year of the Horse approaches, Prof Cai Zongqi, Director of the Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies and Lee Wing Tat Chair Professor of Chinese Literature of Lingnan University, and Mr Jerry Wang Junzhe, Research Officer of the Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies, offer a detailed interpretation of the Horse zodiac sign from the cultural perspectives of customs, classical texts, history, management, and literature, and link this explanation to contemporary Chinese New Year greetings.
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Of the 12 zodiac animals, the Horse stands out for its close connection to human life since antiquity. Unlike mythical creatures such as the dragon or phoenix, the Horse is a real animal and has partnered human beings in warfare, agriculture, long-distance travel, entertainment, and sport. In the Chinese tradition, the Horse symbolises speed and success, and idioms such as “to spur the horse to full speed” (kuàimă jiābiān 快馬加鞭) and “urging the horse forward with the whip” (cèmă yángbiān 策馬揚鞭) reflect the pursuit of progress, timely action, smooth development, and ambition.
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Prof Cai Zongqi, Director of the Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies and and Lee Wing Tat Chair Professor of Chinese Literature of Lingnan University.
In the past, the Horse was an essential public resource and symbolised order, rhythm, and direction. The Rites of Zhou (Zhouli 《周禮》) records that the Zhou Dynasty established a comprehensive system for the “Four Seasonal Horse Rites” (四季祭馬), with strict regulations for breeding, training and assigning duties: in spring, the horse ancestors were honoured and young horses trained; in summer, experience from herdsmen was shared, and horses chosen for training; in autumn, with the harvest, offerings were made to the land deity, and suitable horses selected; in winter, the gods protecting the horses' health were worshipped, horses were presented to the Zhou king, and charioteers were trained.
Prof Cai Zongqi, Director of the Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies and and Lee Wing Tat Chair Professor of Chinese Literature of Lingnan University.
Prof Cai Zongqi explains “Through these horse rituals and training, the ancients conveyed respect for life and an emphasis on social order. This cultural tradition continues to shape contemporary understanding of the Horse zodiac, expressing respect for life, the maintenance of social order, and wishes for a smooth and auspicious year ahead."
The professor also says that the Horse is a metaphor for moderation and balance. Ancient teachings on “controlling the horse” stress the importance of the right tension on the reins: if the reins are too loose, the horse may become unmanageable; if pulled too tightly, it falters. The Warring States bamboo text Yushu (《馭術》) not only details the techniques of horse handling but also introduces the idea of “slow and steady process” (xútú huănjìn 徐圖緩進)—a principle of measured progress. This concept may also be applied to understanding the relationship between people and systems: in both managing a team and running a city, lasting balance cannot be achieved by prioritising speed while ignoring capacity and sustainability.
This philosophy of management is also reflected in the Warring States period idiom “buying horse bones with a thousand pieces of gold” (千金買馬骨) recorded in Strategies of the Warring States (Zhanguo Ce – Yan Ce 《戰國策·燕策》). When King Zhao of Yan sought to attract talent, his advisor Guo Wei told the story of a ruler who offered a thousand pieces of gold for a fine horse. After three wasted years, a courtier bought the bones of a dead thousand-li horse for five hundred pieces of gold. Though the ruler was angry at first, the courtier explained “If dead horse bones are worth five hundred, a living horse must be worth far more. Once the world knows Your Majesty truly values horses, the finest steeds will come of their own accord.” Sure enough, within a year three exceptional horses had been found.
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Prof Cai adds “The story stresses the spirit of sincere appreciation for talent, and in the context of Hong Kong's current efforts to attract talent, it remains highly relevant: by demonstrating genuine commitment through both intentions and action, Hong Kong is attracting and retaining the most talented elite, injecting vitality into its long-term prosperity."
Beyond its history and intelligence, the Horse in literature mirrors the many facets of human life. Don Quixote rides forth on his steed, symbolising breakthrough, persistence, and the quest for ideals; Cao Cao's line “the old horse in the stable still aspires to travel a thousand miles” (老馬伏櫪,志在千里), expresses enduring ambition despite the passage of time. But although the Horse can gallop swiftly it may also tire—reflecting different phases of life and reminding people that sometimes life requires a sprint, while at others it needs rest and to adapt mentally.
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During Chinese New Year, greetings, as well as the familiar “Wishing you swift success, like a galloping horse” (mă dào chéng gōng 馬到成功), may also wish “May you rise steadily and swiftly in your career” (mă bù qīng yún 馬步青雲) or “take the lead at the forefront" (yī mă dāng xiān 一馬當先). Drawing on these idioms, Prof Cai Zongqi extends his own New Year blessing: May everyone remain humble and unhurried while advancing steadily in their careers; may the young take the lead, while the elderly convey their seasoned wisdom; may all find their direction, proceed steadily, and achieve lasting success. As the poem says: “Riding high in the spring breeze, I gallop swiftly, taking in all the flowers of Chang'an in one day!” (春風得意馬蹄疾,一日看盡長安花!).
Lingnan University congratulates Hong Kong SAR astronaut Lai Ka-ying who has been chosen for the nation’s next space mission, where she will probably operate the Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory (MUSICO), a space-based research instrument led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Prof Li Jia, Director of the Lingnan University Shenzhen Research Institute (LUSZRI), and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies (WJYSIS) at Lingnan University, together with her research team, contributed key data from a carbon emissions source database for the project, which will be used to compare greenhouse gas data including carbon dioxide and methane emission sources observed by MUSICO, helping researchers identify emission intensity and distribution patterns of power and industrial facilities across different regions more accurately, thereby providing robust scientific support for China’s carbon-peaking and carbon-neutrality goals.
Prof Li said that currently many satellite monitoring systems worldwide focus mainly on greenhouse gas emissions at the regional level, and identifying carbon emissions from a single large stationary emission source from space remains challenging as relying on the high-sensitivity MUSICO instrument also depends greatly on long-term, ground-based carbon emissions data for comparison.
Prof Li Jia (right), Prof Su Hui (middle), and Dr Wang Fan (left) at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.
Prof Li said “Our database covers more than half of China’s carbon dioxide emission sources, and records emission volumes from different regions and industrial facilities. It is resolved down to the level of total emissions per square kilometre, with precise geographic coordinates, and functions much like a map and a navigation system, helping MUSICO identify the specific locations, intensities, and operational patterns of emission sources in space. This enables the instrument to observe the large-scale distribution of greenhouse gas concentrations, and also to analyse emissions from individual factories or facilities with greater precision, thereby increasing the accuracy and scientific value of space-based observation data.”
Prof Li continued “As an international financial centre, the Hong Kong SAR is well positioned to use Lingnan’s empirical data to advance the development of the green economy. In future, the database may be applied to carbon emissions verification, emissions reduction assessment, and urban low-carbon management, providing scientific support for low-carbon transformation in the Greater Bay Area and across China.”
For several years now, Prof Li Jia’s team has carried out extensive research on industrial carbon emissions in China, and participated in core national carbon neutrality projects, compiling inventories covering major high-emission industries, such as power generation, cement, steel, chemicals and electrolytic aluminium.
Over the past 20 years, Prof Li’s team has carried out continuous research on carbon emissions from the power and industrial sectors in China and Southeast Asian countries. The team has participated in and led carbon capture and storage planning projects in six Asian countries, and developed emissions inventories covering China’s major high-emission industries, including power generation, cement, steel, chemicals, and electrolytic aluminium. This is consistent with the analysis of individual emission sources such as ground-based power plants and oilfields, and helps verify whether observed measurements reflect normal fluctuations or abnormal emissions.
Between 2022 and 2025, Prof Li’s team collaborated with Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning (CAEP) under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and took part in a first-batch key research project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, which expanded the database to cover additional major emission sectors.
From left: Hong Kong SAR astronaut Lai Ka-ying, Prof Li Jia.
Prof Li Jia said that the opportunity to participate in space monitoring-related scientific research collaboration on behalf of Lingnan University was made possible by WJYSIS’ continued encouragement of cross-disciplinary integration, fostering collaborative research in environmental science, data analytics, and artificial intelligence; also, while the Chinese Mainland has taken a leading position in large-scale carbon capture and emissions reduction technologies, the Hong Kong SAR has many advantages in international academic networks and well-established research collaboration platforms, which promote scientific exchange, research related to sustainable development, and collaboration between China and the international community.
Council members of Lingnan University visit the Lingnan University Shenzhen Research Institute (LUSZRI).
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, said that in recent years, Lingnan University has actively promoted its Liberal Arts + Technology development strategy, encouraging faculty and students to conduct interdisciplinary research that addresses real-world issues. Lingnan researchers’ involvement in national space and carbon monitoring projects shows the University’s strong foundation in inter-university and interdisciplinary collaboration, and highlights its academic contributions to public development in environmental science, data analytics, and low-carbon research.
The MUSICO research project is co-led by Prof Su Hui, Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Global STEM Professor at HKUST, and Prof Zhang Limin, Chair Professor and Head of the same department. Prof Zhai Chengxing, Associate Professor of the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas is the mission system engineer, and other team members are Senior Scientific Officer Dr Rong Pingping, Assistant Professor Zhang Jize, and Associate Professor Wang Zhe from HKUST’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Professor Ning Zhi, Associate Professors Shi Xiaoming, and Gu Dasa from the Division of Environment and Sustainability; Associate Professor Ma Xiaojuan from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Professor Zhu Pengyu from the Division of Public Policy; Professor Gao Meng from Hong Kong Baptist University; and Associate Professor Li Jia from Lingnan University.
