If you have ever learned about Chinese culture, or have been interested in Chinese culture, or simply touched movies, books, or internet materials about China, you should have seen the image, or heard of the story of the Chinese dragon.
The Chinese dragon, also known as Loong, written as 龙 in simplified Chinese, and 龍 in traditional Chinese, is pronounced lóng in Pinyin. Generally speaking, it looks nothing like the dragons of the Western world, but usually has the following typical looks – a head that looks like a carnivorous reptile but is actually a collection of many animals, with forked horns, harsh and huge eyes, a long beard and mane, a snake body covered with large, shiny, hard scales, a back with a long spiked dorsal fin extending from head to tail, and four sharp, powerful eagle claws. In the pictures you see, it usually appears with clouds or fire, with its head held high and eyes wide, majestic and full of power.
From the following, you will learn a whole lot about the mysterious existence of the Chinese dragon.
Chinese Dragon: A Being That Doesn’t Exist in Real World
It may come as a surprise to learn that the Chinese dragon didn’t (doesn’t) actually exist in a biological sense; or, more rigorously, that there is no evidence that it has ever existed – perhaps there is, but it hasn’t been found yet.
So, realistic Chinese dragon has not been found yet.
In scattered folklore, there have always been unverified stories about people who have seen dragons with their own eyes. The most recent documented official report was in the summer of 1934, when an article in the Shengjing Times (盛京时报) claimed that a dead dragon had been found in the Liaohe River basin in Yingkou, Liaoning, described as having “a head like a horse’s but with two horns,” but scientists analyzed the reported photographs at the time and concluded that it was most likely the skeletal remains of a whale.
Here are some more sightings of the Chinese dragon, if you’re interested.
The Origin of Chinese Dragon
So, since dragons probably don’t exist in nature, where did they come from?
The view of historians and anthropologists is that these early images of dragons might have initially evolved from ancient human worship of certain animals, such as snakes, crocodiles, and other strange and powerful creatures. And over time, it gradually combined with ancient Chinese literature, theocracy, and astronomical systems to develop a unique symbolism.
The well-documented image of the Chinese dragon dates back to ancient times. According to archaeologists, the totem of the dragon appeared in the cultural sites of China’s Neolithic period.
Unique Look
As mentioned above, a typical Chinese dragon combines features from different animals such as deer horns, bull ears, horse head, snake body, and fish scales.. However, there are actually some other image distinctions between Chinese dragons, such as the one shown below. I will explain these differences in detail in later chapters.
Generally speaking, the Chinese dragon doesn’t have wings, but it can come and go as it pleases in the sky – except for a type of dragon called the Yinglong, which quite accidentally possesses a pair of wings; and not all dragons – although some of them do, like the kind of dragons of the Western world in Game of Thrones, have fire-breathing as an innate ability.
One of the 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals
One of the most well-known aspects of the Chinese dragon is its place in the Chinese zodiac. It’s considered one of the most important zodiac signs. Legend has it that the Jade Emperor held a race to select the zodiac animals, and the dragon earned its place due to its impressive appearance and abilities. Among all the 12 signs, dragon symbolizes authority, strength, and good luck.
The Year of the Dragon is probably the most highly regarded of all the Chinese Zodiac years, and every Dragon year – such as the year 2024 (February 10, 2023 – January 28, 2025) of the Chinese Lunar Calendar – is emphasized more than any other year of the Chinese Zodiac. In this year, more children will be born because people believe that Dragon children have better luck and future, and some people will even change their pregnancy plan to have a “Dragon baby”. Of course, people’s pursuit of good luck is understandable, but too many Dragon babies will create more intense peer competition, including competition for school seats and future job opportunities.
Spiritual Totem of the East
The dragon has an extremely high status in Eastern culture and is also seen as an important symbol. Dragon totem worship and dragon culture have a deep historical and cultural background. Whether it is royal or folk, the dragon is a symbol of power and good luck.
The yellow and green dragons have always been the royal totems of the East. For thousands of years of imperial power in China, the yellow and green dragons have been the royal totems of the East. The royal family would place images of dragons anywhere – in clothing (dragon robes), buildings (dragon pillars), furniture (dragon chairs), and so on – to emphasize their sacred status.
As for folklore, the dragon in Chinese mythology has extraordinary abilities, and its appearance is often closely related to oriental divine power, agricultural production and seasonal changes, and is endowed with many magical powers, such as calling the wind and rain, controlling water sources and flying in the sky. That is why people in agrarian societies revered and worshipped the dragon, which could control the weather and thus determine their survival. In the dry weather of ancient China, the ritual of begging the Dragon King for rain was a very solemn ceremony. To this day, we can still see Dragon King temples in many parts of China.
One of the most famous legends is about how King Great Yu dealt with the flood – unlike the flood legends of the Western world, where people escaped the flood in large boats – King Great Yu was helped by dragons, and eventually succeeded in controlling the flood and bring peace and prosperity to the people.
Legendary Chinese Ancestors
The dragon is also considered a symbol of ancestry and is closely related to the origins of the Chinese people. Chinese people are also known as the “Descendants of Yan Huang (炎黄子孙 Pinyin: yán huáng zǐ sūn)”, the Yan (炎) here is on behalf of Yan Emperor (炎帝 Pinyin: yán dì), and Huang (黄) on behalf of the Huang Emperor (黄帝 Pinyin: huáng dì), both are the descendants of the dragon. In the “War between Huang emperor and Chi You (黄帝战蚩尤 Pinyin: huáng dì zhàn chī yóu)” legend, Huang Emperor as the son of the dragon overcame the evil Emperor Chi You (蚩尤 Pinyin: chī yóu), achieved the victory of justice.
Chinese dragon on the Chinese people is very significant, the Chinese or Chinese people will usually call themselves “Children of the dragon (龙的传人 Pinyin: lóng de chuán rén)”, culturally speaking, this identity, is another affirmation of their Chinese identity.
An Important Factor in Chinese Art World
As a divine animal, the Chinese dragon has always served as a common constituent of China’s rich art world. Early Chinese texts such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Records of the Grand Historian contain references to dragons. And there are countless jades, paintings, sculptures, and poems featuring dragons from ancient times to the present day.
The earliest jade artifact with a dragon found so far is the Jade Pig Dragon of the Hongshan Culture – but today there is still a dispute about whether it is a pig or a dragon. What is certain, however, is that jade objects in the shape of dragons from the Shang and Zhou periods are jade carvings that can be clearly identified as dragons.
The Symbolism of the Chinese Dragon
The dragon symbolizes multiple positive aspects in Chinese culture, such as the following.
Imperial Power
In traditional culture, the dragon is regarded as a symbol of supreme power, and in feudal society, the dragon represents imperial power and supremacy. The yellow dragon, for example, was considered the son of the emperor of heaven and symbolized the absolute authority of the emperor.
Auspiciousness
The dragon is also a symbol of auspiciousness. In ancient times, it was believed that dragons could call the wind and rain to bring harvest and peace. Therefore, the dragon was also regarded as a god of protection, blessing people with favorable winds and rain and abundant harvests. Therefore it also represents the auspiciousness of good weather and peace of the country.
Wisdom and Strength
The dragon symbolizes wisdom and strength too. In many myths, dragons are endowed with extraordinary wisdom and power to overcome evil and protect the people. At the same time, dragons also represent endless vitality and resilience, epitomizing the spirit and culture of the Chinese people.
For example, the idiom of “Dragon and Horse Spirit” is a metaphor for a person’s exuberant spirit and appearance. This idiom is often used to describe people who are energetic and positive.
Types of Chinese Dragons
Chinese dragons can be categorized in many ways. Based on their color, they can be divided into “nine-color dragons”, which are the yellow dragon, black dragon, white dragon, red dragon, green dragon, blue dragon, gold dragon, silver dragon and green dragon. Each type of dragon has its own unique symbolism and function.
- Yellow Dragon: the highest in status, considered to be the son of the Heavenly Emperor, symbolizing imperial power and supremacy.
- Black Dragon: Considered the water dragon, it is in charge of rivers, lakes and seas, symbolizing rain and water.
- White Dragon: symbolizes purity and sanctity, usually found in temples and ritual occasions.
- Red Dragon: symbolizes passion and vitality, associated with fire.
- Green Dragon: considered the guardian deity of the East, symbolizing vitality and hope.
- Blue Dragon: symbolizes depth and mystery, and is associated with the sky and the sea.
- The Golden Dragon, Silver Dragon and Green Dragon also have their own symbolism, representing wealth, purity and vitality respectively.
If categorized according to their shapes, they can be further divided into the following:
- Green Dragon: slightly different from the above through the color to classify the Green Dragon, if the shape rules, here the Green Dragon, also known as Canglong, Mengzhang, is a typical image of the Chinese dragon in ancient Chinese myths and legends, for the “Four Spirits of Heaven,” one of the gods of the East, corresponds to the “four elephants It corresponds to the “four elephants” in the “seven eastern constellations”.
- Vermin Dragon: Vermin is the juvenile stage of the dragon, and ancient records show that the vermin transforms into a jiao in 500 years, and the jiao transforms into a dragon in 1,000 years.
- Jiao Dragon: The Jiaolong is a water dragon, which usually resides in the lake and other water gathering places, and can only evolve into a real dragon in a thousand years.
- Gnarled Dragon: The gnarled dragon is a juvenile form of dragon without horns.
- Chi-Dragon: The Chi-Dragon is a dragon-like creature without horns, symbolizing beauty and good fortune.
- Horned Dragon: Horned Dragons are dragons with horns. A Jiao transforms into a Dragon in 1,000 years and a Dragon is a Horned Dragon in 500 years.
- Yinglong Dragon: Yinglong is also known as Flying Dragon and Yellow Dragon, with two wings on its back, it is the final form of the dragon, and is also called Old Dragon.
- Fire Dragon: The Fire Dragon is a legendary dragon that can breathe fire.
- Coiling Dragon: The Coiling Dragon is a dragon in Chinese folklore that hibernates in the ground but does not ascend to the sky, and the shape of the dragon is coiled and encircled.
- Ichthyosaurus: Ichthyosaurus is a dragon with a fish head and a fish body, which is also a form of “dragon and fish changing into each other”.
The shapes and legends of these dragons varied in different historical periods and cultural backgrounds, reflecting the richness of the ancient Chinese people’s imagination of nature and mythology.
Different dragons had different roles to play, and in addition to serving as spiritual symbols in different senses, there were also hard-working dragons – such as the water dragon, which was in charge of water and kind of a God for supplying water for people.
The Four Chinese Dragons
The legend of the Four Dragons of China has been passed down in the Western world and is very vivid and full of Chinese mythology. It tells the story of how the Long Dragon, the Yellow Dragon, the Black Dragon, and the Pearl Dragon defied the Jade Emperor and brought water to the people of China. But we don’t find these legends in the Chinese world. Our guess is that this would be a descendant of the Chinese, or an artistic image recreated by Westerners who love Chinese culture based on informative Chinese myths and legends.
However, China does have four Dragon Kings who guard the four seas of China: the East Sea Dragon King, the West Sea Dragon King, the South Sea Dragon King, and the North Sea Dragon King.
Festivals Related to Chinese Dragons
Traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Spring Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival, are closely associated with dragons. During the Spring Festival, people dance dragon lanterns to symbolize the exorcism of evil spirits and to welcome the New Year. The Dragon Boat Race at the Dragon Boat Festival, honors the great poet Qu Yuan and also symbolizes the heritage of dragon culture.
Differences with Western Dragons
Although both China and the West have legends about dragons, the two are very different in terms of image, symbolism and cultural connotations. The Chinese dragon is a fusion of many animal characteristics, a mysterious and auspicious image, often depicted as a deity that can move clouds and rain, dominate the wind and rain, and is worshipped as a deity.
Western dragons, on the other hand, are often depicted as gigantic reptiles, similar in appearance to lizards or dinosaurs, sometimes with wings, and with fire-breathing mouths, representing savagery and destruction, and are often used as objects of conquest by warriors.
Symbolically, therefore, the Chinese dragon represents good fortune, authority and unity, while the Western dragon is often associated with evil forces, greed and death.
The Continuation in Chinese Modern Culture
Despite the passage of time, the image of the dragon continues to occupy an important place in modern Chinese culture and society. In modern society, the image of the dragon is still widely used in national celebrations and sporting events. For example, the emblem of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games skillfully incorporates the dragon element, showing the world the charm of this traditional culture. And the dragon remains an important theme and image in everything from movies and literature to art and games.
At the same time, the dragon has also become an important symbol for the spread of Chinese culture to the outside world, promoting cultural exchanges and integration between China and foreign countries.