Goat (zodiac)
Characteristics The Chinese generally regard sheep as an auspicious animal and therefore herald a year of promise and prosperity. "Yáng" (羊) is a part of another written Chinese word "xiang" (祥), which means auspiciousness, and the two were interchangeable in ancient Chinese, according to one source. It is part of the character "shan" (善), which counts goodness and kindness among its meanings.