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February 24, 2017

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Exhibit traces chicken’s place in history, culture

By Wu Huixin | February 24, 2017, Friday | Print Edition

2017 is the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese zodiacal calendar. In honor of this occasion, an ongoing exhibition at Zhejiang Nature Museum includes displays of artifacts, specimens, paintings and historical documents relating to this animal.

The exhibition can be divided into two main segments, one zoological and the other cultural. The first part introduces Phasianidae, including their species and evolution. Phasianidae is the largest family of Galliformes animals, and China has been dubbed the “kingdom of Phasianidae,” as 35 percent of the species live in the country.

Some rare species can only be found in China. However, some of them are endangered due to illegal hunting and habitat destruction. Many local governments have built protected habitats and used artificial reproduction to bolster their numbers.

In Zhejiang Province, the yellow-bellied tragopan is a rare pheasant found in mountainous areas. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has identified it as a “vulnerable species.” Therefore, Jiulongshan National Park and Dayangkeng Biosphere have been established to protect this bird.

The exhibition includes dozens of specimens, including common pheasants, yellow-bellied and red-bellied tragopans, white-eared and blue-eared pheasants, and peacocks.

Common bird, rare art

The ancient Chinese began to tame primitive chickens as early as 10,000 years go. Northern China is considered the first chicken breeding location in Asia. Indeed, a species known as Changting Hetian evolved into one of the world’s five main chicken varieties, along with Rhode Island Red, White Leghorn, White Plymouth Rock and Sussex.

Zhejiang also boasts a variety of local poultry. The Xianju chicken lives in coastal areas and lays small eggs, while the Jiangshan black-bone chicken is used to make a popular variety of natural tonic. In Hangzhou, the local Xiaoshan chicken is popular with consumers, since it lays eggs frequently and its meat tastes tender and succulent. At the exhibition, specimens from these species are displayed along with historic documents.

The second part of the exhibition includes cultural artifacts relating to chickens. They were common subjects in ink paintings, and some of the museum’s top pieces include these feathered creatures.

A painting by the Emperor Songhui of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) vividly portrays a rooster flying onto a hibiscus branch. Modern scientists believe the rooster depicted in this work is a hybrid of a golden pheasant crossed with a white-chested pheasant. Now, the painting is in the collection of the Palace Museum.

At ancient times, painters often worked on paper that would be used in fans. At the exhibition are two Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) paper fans showing roosters and nature scenes. One is a collaborative painting from Zhang Wei, while the other is a colorful ink painting from Ye Hongye.

In addition to paintings, porcelain was another media carrying chicken imagery. At the exhibition, white glazed porcelains from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and green-glazed porcelains from the Southern and Northern Dynasties (AD 420-589) feature rooster motifs ornamented with floral lines.

The phoenix is a mythical creature that derived from the rooster. It was the totem of the empress and concubines of the royal family in ancient times. Now, it symbolizes auspiciousness as it is thought to be the king of all birds. Thus, it is often used in auspicious paintings in celebrations and festivals.

One highlight here is an enamel container glazed with colorful flower patterns, a dragon and a phoenix. In the center is the character meaning “double happiness” in Chinese.

The exhibition also shows historical changes to the Chinese characters used to represent the chicken, starting from the oracle bone script to the modern simplified character.

In addition, Chinese poems, idioms, folklore and practices relating to the chicken are also examined at the exhibition. Cockfighting is one such traditional folk activity. The activity was popularized in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and is still practiced in Henan Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The food is also an indispensable part of chicken culture. Popular chicken-based dishes include Xinjiang Big Plate Chicken, Wenchang Chicken, Sichuan Peppery Chicken and Beggar’s Chicken.

 

Date: Through March 30 (closed on Mondays)

Address: No. 6, West Lake Cultural Square, Xiacheng District

Admission: Free

Hangzhou


 

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