Looking to Year of the Horse for peace

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.

The author is a writer with China Daily.

gaozhuyuan@chinadaily.com.cn