Looking to Year of the Horse for peace

With the Year of the Horse round the corner, some Spring Festival greetings related with the horse have been tripping off many people's tongue, and a popular one is ma dao cheng gong, or speedy success (upon horses' arrival), with ma referring to horse. Also, Chinese paintings of galloping horses have become most sought-after new year items, favored especially by businesspeople craving for success in the coming new year.

While people today take the auspicious implications of the horse for granted, few would associate the majestic animal with the turbulent days of the past. Nothing should prevent us from welcoming a new year with hope, but we should understand and cherish the present peace and prosperity by reflecting on the past, when horses were a lot more than just an artistic subject and harbinger of success, or simply the means of conducting overland trade and communication.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Middle Kingdom flourished because of its equestrian might. The use of chariots in battles reached its peak around the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), when a kingdom's military prowess was measured by the number of chariots it had. The more flexible cavalry units were later adopted to deal with threats from the nomadic neighbors. And horses remained essential to the country's security throughout its imperial past.

The names of many warhorses have survived the amnesia of the passing years. After suffering a disastrous defeat in his long struggle for power, the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) overlord Xiang Yu lamented that although his strength plucked up mountains and might overshadowed the world, the times were against him because his horse Zhui could gallop no more. "What can I do when Zhui gallops no more", he cried. Legend has it that Zhui, the finest charger of the times, drowned itself after his master committed suicide on the bank of the Wujang River following his defeat.

The glorious and tragic past of beating hooves is, however, not restricted to China. From the wooden Trojan Horse that helped end the 10-year siege of Troy and Alexander's flesh-and-blood horse, Bucephalus, to Napoleon's Marengo, the horse has been revered throughout the history of the West.

Horses were the mainstay of army logistics even during World War I. They pulled artillery, ambulances and supplies through sub-zero temperatures with snow often reaching up to their bellies. Forced into war, they endured the same nightmares as the soldiers. They were wounded and killed, and often starved to death. They died of exhaustion and illness, too.

So what is the common symbolic meaning the horse holds from China to the West? It symbolizes courage, strength and loyalty. It has seen wars, and the rise and downfall of empires. It was the closest friend and savior of warriors. And it has influenced history like no other animal.

Long gone are the days when horses trotted, cantered and galloped across battlefields. World War II marked a drastic change in the value of mounted cavalry. The advent of advanced weaponry substantially diminished the use of horses. The 20th century also saw the rapid development of modern warfare, and the development of unmanned and automated weapons continues unabated. Over the last decade, hundreds of drone attacks have killed large numbers of civilians along the Afghan-Pakistan border. Even the "invisibility cloak" is emerging out of Hogwarts to enter the real world of combat, posing the greatest threat to the muggles. The Trojan Horse led to the defeat of Troy in ancient times. Let's hope today's advanced weaponry does not become the Trojan Horse of our times, used to destroy our own kind.

Though not dedicated to horses for their wartime services, the upcoming Year of the Horse, which marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WWI, should be the time to look back on the war-ravaged century and pay tribute to the war dead, including all the horses that were forced into the battles of yore and died alongside humans.

More importantly, it should be a year commanding more step-by-step peacemaking efforts. We can take comfort in knowing that the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons is going on in an inclusive manner, creating a real chance of resolving the crisis. It is a good start to the new zodiac year. People do have reason to expect more progress to be made, from the Middle East to the Korean Peninsula, but they should also remember what former US president Lyndon B. Johnson said, peace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time.