The Chinese Lunar New Year starts on Friday, February 16th, 2018, in China’s time zone. According to the Chinese Fortune Calendar, after applying all the calculations, this is the Yang Male Earth Dog Year.
Being an Earth year, the sign for 2018 is mountains over mountains.
It reminds me of a Haitian proverb I stumbled across last year, Dèyè mòn, gen mòn. The English equivalent: Beyond mountains, more mountains.
So 2018 may seem like a challenge. Mountains to climb, obstacles to overcome. An interesting journey for those who are willing to put in the effort.
I grew up on a small mountain. Walking two kilometres downhill to school in the morning. Then, making the same route uphill in the early afternoon. Winter time we would have snowball fights along the way, made the journey longer, yet more fun.
These days, I don’t get to climb mountains as often as I would, as I am based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. But, I do get to travel around an amazing country. As a photographer, you have an endless stream of opportunities surrounding you. All you need to do is to look.
That’s how I found this colourful Foo dog as Westerners call it. They are in fact Chinese Guardian Lions. The Chinese refer to them as Shi, as it is the Chinese word for lion. In Japan, they call them Komainu.
Foo dogs are protective elements often found outside entrances. They ward of negativeness. They are a symbol of power and protection.
What better than to plan your year ahead with our colourful Foo dog calendar. At 70×100 cm, it is not a small dog.
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