For example, a community I visited while hiking outside of Beijing had a mural dedicated to the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle where each year is represented by a different animal. Each animal has certain characteristics, and people born in that animal's year are said to have those characteristics. For example, I was born in the year of the horse. The horse in the Chinese zodiac is considered enthusiastic and independent. This year is the year of the pig and next year is the year of the rat. You can look up what animal goes with the year you were born and see if their characteristics match up with yours!
The common subjects of Chinese paintings are heavily tied to the environment. Many paintings include flowers, birds, mountains and other animals or landscapes. Chinese culture has a focus on the world's natural beauty, and features such as a mountain were depicted as representations of high standing in society, such as an emperor, for example. Therefore, it isn't surprising that many paintings involve outside scenery.
