Niu's reference is the Year of the Ox of Lunar New Year The Ox (牛) is the second of the 12-year periodic sequence (cycle) of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and also appears in related calendar systems. The Chinese term translated here as the ox is in Chinese niú (牛), a word generally referring to cows, bulls, or neutered types of the bovine family, such as common cattle or water buffalo. The Year of the Ox is also denoted by the Earthly Branch symbol chǒu (丑). People who were born in the year of the Ox are naturally talented. They have a good sense of taste, oratory skills and musical ear. Prefer to develop in different directions, not stuck in one activity. Amazing their legacy. Their love for books lasts until old age. According to some old mythological traditions, there was a race held by a great deity to determine which creatures, in which order, would be the namesakes of the twelve-year cycle. The race was run and swum, the finishing line being across a great river. The Rat and the Ox crossed easily enough, the Ox due to being large, powerful, and adept both on land and in water: the Rat asked the good-natured Ox for a ride on its back, but then ungratefully jumped off at the last minute to cross the finish line first.