The hallways of Edison High were transformed into a mythical race track on December 5 as the Chinese National Honor Society (CNHS) brought an ancient legend to life. Based on the folklore where animals raced to determine the order of the Chinese zodiac, the “Race of the Zodiacs” Scavenger Hunt challenged students to test their speed and knowledge of Chinese culture.

According to the legend, the Rat claimed first place, the Ox took second, and the rest followed, defining the twelve-month celestial time cycle. The CNHS event mirrored this race, though the concept needed significant preparation to bring into EHS.

“The original concept behind this game came from months-long planning based on a project for a Mandarin class,” said CNHS President Stella Chen ‘26. “We, as a collective Board, decided on the final plan, and worked on this project for a fairly large amount of time before we were able to do our first trial run. The trial run happened around Thanksgiving, where we realized that the game was too extensive, so we shortened it and eventually reached an optimal game length.”

The resulting event featured two distinct rounds, in which teams raced to solve puzzles. Rather than simply finding hidden objects, participants had to decode puzzles that led them to specific items, traditional sayings, words, or historical years. Once they cracked the code, teams had to rush back to the organizers to verify their answers. One standout team managed to dominate the field, winning both rounds to be crowned the all-around victors: Ken Dela Cruz ‘29, Alvin Guan ‘29, Kayla Chan ‘29, and Hangfan Ge ‘29.

However, the hunt required more than just knowledge, since the race also required decent speed to evade hunters. In the original story, the Cat was excluded from the Zodiac after being tricked by the Rat. Referencing this aspect of the race, the organizers introduced “The Cats”—student volunteers who walked around the play area seeking revenge.

Players wore ribbons on their arms representing their “life.” If a “Cat” managed to pull the ribbon off, the player was considered caught and sent back to the library to complete a punishment task before they could return to the game.

Overall, the planning and effort dedicated to this event made for a successful and enjoyable turnout for both the players and volunteers.

“I find the concept of this scavenger hunt to be really interesting, and the players seemed to have a really fun time,” said Jerry Chu ‘28, who volunteered for a part of the event. He mentioned that while the work was “somewhat tedious” as a volunteer, it was a great experience overall.

Despite the chaos of chasing cats and code-breaking, the scavenger hunt simultaneously taught students more about Chinese culture through a simulation of the folklore.“My goal with this activity was to let the kids have a great time while also teaching them more about Chinese culture,” said CNHS Advisor Mr. James Huang.

With the successful completion of 2025’s race, the CNHS proved that learning about ancient history can be just as exciting as living it.