Chinese dragon Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The Chinese dragon (龍; pinyin: long2; Cantonese: loong; Hokkien: leng) is a mythical creature. Long a potent symbol of auspicious power in Chinese folklore and art, it is the embodiment of the concept of yang and associated with the weather and water as the bringer of rain.
The dragon is sometimes in the West viewed as a national emblem of China. However, this usage within both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan is extremely rare, both because the dragon has monarchist connotations which run counter to recent Chinese ideologies and because the dragon has aggressive, warlike connotations which Chinese governments dislike. It is for the latter reason that the giant panda is far more often used within China as a national emblem than the Chinese dragon.
Some scholars report that the Huang Di (Yellow Emperor) used a snake for his coat of arms. Every time he conquered another tribe, he added his defeated enemy's emblem into his. Huang Di was immortalized into a dragon that looks like his emblem. That explains why the Chinese dragon has a body of a snake; the scales and tail of a fish; the antlers of a deer; the face of a qilin (a deer-like mythical creature with fire all over its body); and two pairs of talons of eagles; and the eyes of a demon. They fly in the sky among the clouds. Almost all pictures of Chinese dragons show them playing with a flaming pearl. Supposedly it is the pearl that gives them their power and allows them to ascend to heaven.
Also, since the Chinese consider Huang Di as their ancestor, they sometimes refer themselves as "the descendants of the dragons".
Another legend says that the carps able to leap over the Dragon Gate would become dragons. Several waterfalls and cataracts in China are believed to be the location of the Dragon Gate. This legend is an allegory of the drive and efforts needed to overcome obstacles.
Chinese or Korean Imperial dragons have five toes on each foot; Indonesian dragons have four and Japanese dragons have three. To explain this phenomenon, Chinese legend states that although dragons originated in China, the further away from China a dragon went the fewer toes it had, and dragons only exist in China, Korea, Indonesia, and Japan because if they travelled further they would have no toes to continue. Japanese legend has an opposing story, namely that dragons originated in Japan, and the further they travelled the more toes they grew and as a result if they went too far they would have too many toes to continue to walk properly. These theories are rejected in Korea and Indonesia.
Another interpretation: according to several sources, Chinese dragons had four toes - but the Imperial Dragon had five. It was a capital offense for anyone other than the emperor to use the five-clawed dragon motif. Korean sources seem to disagree with this theory, as the Imperial dragon in Gyeongbok Palace has seven claws, implying its superiority over the Chinese Dragon.
The number nine is considered lucky in China and Chinese dragons are frequently connected with it. For example, a Chinese dragon is normally described in terms of nine attributes and usually has 117 scales - 81 (9x9) male and 36 (9x4) female.
It is also said that the Dragon has 9 children, all mythical creatures.
The first son is called 贔屭([pinyin]bi4xi4), looks like a giant land turtle, and can be seen sometimes in carved stone base of tablets. The second son is called 螭吻, looks like a beast, and is always found at the roof. The third son is called 蒲牢, looks like a small dragon, and likes to roar - thus it is always found on bells. The fourth son is called 狴犴, looks like a tiger, and is so powerful that it can be found in prisons. The fifth son is called 饕餮, loves to eat, and is always found on ancient bronze. The sixth son is called 蚣蝮, likes to be in water, and is found on bridges. The seventh son is called 睚眥 and likes to kill. The eighth son is called 狁猊 and looks like a tiger. The youngest is called 椒圖 and looks like a palm.
The dragon is one of the 12 Chinese zodiacs which is used to designate year in the Chinese calendar. It is thought that each animal is associated certain personality traits. (see Dragon (Zodiac)).
The dragon was a symbol for the emperor in many Chinese dynasties. The imperial throne was called the dragon throne. During the late Qing dynasty, the dragon was even adopted as the national flag. It was an capital offense for commoners to wear clothes with a dragon symbol.
In some Chinese legends, an emperor might be born with a birthmark in the shape of a dragon. For example, one legend might tell the tale of a peasant born with a dragon birthmark who eventually overthrows the existing dynasty and founds a new one; another legend might tell of the prince in hiding from his enemies who is identified by his dragon birthmark.
The empress was often identified with the phoenix.
The dragons are believed to be the rulers of the seas. They can show themselves as water spouts (tornado or twister over water).
There are four dragons, one representing each sea. For instance the Dragon King of the East, Dragon King of the West, and so forth.
This is an Article on Chinese dragon. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Chinese dragon Legend of the Yellow Emperor
Legend of the carp
Dragon toes
Number nine
Chinese zodiac
Symbol of the emperor
Rulers of the seas
Nine Classical types
Besides there are the 9 Dragon children and two other (inferior) dragon species, the jiao and the li, both hornless.See also:
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