According to the Chinese zodiac, 12 animals, namely, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig rotate in an established order for every 12 years, as well as every day. For example, 2008 was the year of rat while 2009 is the year of ox. Similarly, in ancient China, one day is also divided into 12 sections, with each section covering two hours. From 11pm to 1am is the first section called ‘Zi Shi’, which means ‘the time period of rat’. In short, the zodiac is used in not only naming years but also measuring hours. 
And these twelve bronze sculptures depicting the twelve animals were made for a Zodiac fountain, or water clock in the Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan on the outskirts of Beijing.
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