The logo for the CECF China Equine Cultural Festival • Hohhot 2013 draws its inspiration from the ancient game puzzle “tangram,” a simple puzzle of seven flat pieces or ‘tans’. Tangrams, also known as qī qiǎo bǎn; literally "seven boards of skill" is arguably the earliest psychological test of intelligence and imagination. It involves seven pieces of puzzles that are arranged in different layouts without overlapping.
The number of pieces, seven, hold a deep relation to Chinese culture, symbolic of ‘togetherness.’ The number ‘7’ is a lucky number in Chinese culture because its phonetic sound is similar to the Chinese word 起 meaning arise and also 气 meaning life essence.
The CECF logo is an abstraction of a horse in a galloping gait. This representation of a horse in motion as graphically represented through the tangram is a symbolic fusion of equine and Chinese cultures.
The logo represents the energy of a thoroughbred in motion with its legs in powerful strides and tail fluttering in the wind to indicate speed and power. Throughout its ancient history, Chinese culture is replete with the role of horses in their conquests, way of life, survival, and leisure activities. The colors are representative of happiness, good luck, celebration, vitality, happiness and long life in Chinese tradition.
The CECF logo captures the essence of the equine cultural event by showing the close relationship between equines and the local culture. It represents vitality and celebration that the festival brings to the sport of horse racing.
