A Chinese idyllic painting often shows a small child sitting on the back of an ox, leisurely playing a wooden flute, as they stroll forward alongside a paddy with mist-shrouded mountains in the distance.

In this pastoral imagery, the ox is a ubiquitous constituent, proving over thousands of years their qualities of diligence, stoicism and altruism, and living up to their noble reputation in Chinese culture.

The selfless image of the ox is expressed and reinforced by literary and artistic creations, an iconic example being the famous verse of writer and poet Lu Xun (1881-1936): Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers. Head-bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children, expressing his abhorrence of the suppressors and a resolution to devote himself to the people.

Although oxen have gradually retired from modern everyday life, their qualities remain relevant.