Historical status

In several dynasties, the ox was elevated to such a high status that commoners were forbidden from slaughtering farm cattle at will.

The earliest text record pertaining to this regulation dates back to more than 2,000 years ago, in the Confucius school historical record Book of Rites. Completed in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), the codex states that in the Western Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC), the liege lords were not allowed to slaughter cattle without a good reason, and only the emperor could kill cattle in spring and autumn as sacrificial offerings.

Apart from farming purposes, another reason for the high status of cattle was their key role in the armed forces.

The Tang Code records that cattle and horses were used by the military and ipso facto different from the rest of domestic animals. Anyone stealing or killing cattle would face a sentence of two and a half years.