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Animal-themed carts are popular toys for children these days. Coincidentally, children living nearly 2,000 years ago in China had fun with a similar toy – jiuche, literally meaning "turtledove cart" as it was made in the shape of the little bird.
A three-wheeled bronze turtledove cart from the Jin Dynasty is on display at Luoyang Museum in central China's Henan Province, on February 10, 2023. /CFP
The oldest turtledove carts have been unearthed in the tombs of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) tombs. They are generally around 10 centimeters in length and five to 15 centimeters in height, with two wheels installed on the sides of the bird, some even with a little wheel under the bird's tail. There is a small ring on the chest of the turtledove that a rope is tied to it for children to pull. Some of birds carry a nestling on its back. The material of the toy cart varied from clay to bronze.
On two wall paintings of different Han Dynasty tombs in Shaanxi Province, archaeologists also found images showing a child pulling a bird-shaped cart, which are very similar to the unearthed relics and written records of turtledove carts.
Turtledoves feed their young meticulously. As a result, parents made the toy cart in the shape of turtledove to express their love to their children. The toy was once popular during the Han and Jin (265-420) dynasties, and gradually lost its practical use and became a decoration in subsequent years.
Flash forward to today's toy markets and we can still find two-wheeled toy carts in the shape of animals. When children pull the rope of the cart, the animal can nod its head while running. How similar to the scene of 2,000 years ago!
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Copyright © 2023 CGTN. 京ICP备16065310号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466