Have you ever imagined this scene:

Late one night over two thousand years ago, the moon was suddenly "bitten" out of a piece.

The ancients, panicked and bewildered, beat gongs and drums, lit firecrackers, and shouted into the deafening roar: Heavenly Dog! Spit out the moon!

And the protagonist of this rescue mission is hidden within a small eaves tile.

I. The Heavenly Dog Under the Eaves: The Ancients Used Myth to Guard Their Homes

Among the Qin and Han dynasty eaves tiles unearthed in a certain area of Shaanxi, there is a special canine-shaped tile: a divine beast holding its head high to the sky, a curved new moon beside its body. It is called the Heavenly Dog—not the one that later became the moon-devouring beast, but an earlier auspicious beast that wards off evil.

The ancients placed the Heavenly Dog at the very front of the eaves, not to scare people, but because they believed it could block disasters: when it rained, the tile shielded the house from water; when calamity threatened, the Heavenly Dog protected the household from misfortune.

It was only after the Tang and Song dynasties that the Heavenly Dog gradually became associated with eclipsing the moon, turning into a troublemaker in folklore. But few know that before its darkening, it was the ancients' most trusted guardian.

II. Hunting Hounds in Tomb Chambers: An Even Warmer Companion

If the Heavenly Dog on the eaves tile is a mythological guardian, then the hunting hounds in Han dynasty portrait bricks are the real-life best partners.

On an unearthed hunting portrait brick, a moment from 2000 years ago is frozen: a nobleman gallops on horseback, followed by a hunting dog with all four hooves in the air, staring intently at the prey ahead. Its muscles are taut like a drawn bow, its ears flattened against its head—this was the proudest athletic companion of Han dynasty aristocrats.

To the people of the Han dynasty, the hunting dog meant far more than a hunting tool:

• It was a status symbol: Only those who could afford to keep an excellent hunting dog were deemed brave warriors.

• It was a spiritual symbol: The seamless coordination on the hunting ground reflected the martial spirit ingrained in the Han people's bones.

• It was even a companion for life and death: The hunting scenes in the tomb chambers were the tomb owner's underground pass—a hope that even after death, they would still be accompanied by their loyal hounds.

III. From Myth to Daily Life: The Ancients Long Understood that Pets Are Family

From the Heavenly Dog on the eaves tiles to the hunting hounds in portrait bricks, in the eyes of the ancients, dogs were never mere animals.

They were guardian spirits on the rooftop, comrades-in-arms on the hunting ground, and eternal companions in the tomb chamber—just like today, we include our pets in our wills, share their funny moments on social media, and weep red-eyed at their passing.

It turns out that the concept pets are family is a consensus reached between us and the ancients, spanning thousands of years.

See you in Guangzhou in November for the true History of Ancient Pets!

From November 12-15, 2026, the 30th China International Pet Show (CIPS 2026) will feature the special exhibition The Spirit of Dogs: Guardian to Totem, 10,000 Years of Bond 

Here, you can see:

✅ Qin and Han dynasty eaves tiles carved with the "Heavenly Dog Eclipse"
✅ Han dynasty portrait bricks bearing the image of hunting hounds
✅ Even the "Dragon-Dog Totem Yao Embroidery" of ethnic minorities
...
Over 100 antiques will take you on a journey through millennia, showing how the Chinese people carved their love for pets into the very bone and blood of their civilization.

This November in Guangzhou, how about "chatting" with the ancients about just how mighty your furry child's ancestors once were?

Date: November 12-15, 2026
Venue: China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou