Chinese dragon facts for kids

Chinese dragon

Dragon stone plate, used to decorate steps of imperial buildings.

Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and Chinese folklore. The dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it. With this, the Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength.

In Chinese daily language, excellent and outstanding people are compared to a dragon, while incapable people with no achievements are compared with other, disesteemed creatures, such as a worm. A number of Chinese proverbs and idioms feature references to a dragon, such as "Hoping one's son will become a dragon"

Symbolic value
Images for kids
See also

Symbolic value

Historically, the dragon was associated with the Emperor of China and used a symbol to represent imperial power. The dragon is sometimes used in the West as a national emblem of China. However, this usage within either the People's Republic of China or the Republic of China on Taiwan as the symbol of nation is not common. Instead, it is generally used as the symbol of culture.

Origin

The ancient Chinese self-identified as "the descendants of the dragon" because the Chinese dragon is an imagined reptile that represents evolution from the ancestors and qi energy. The presence of dragons within Chinese culture dates back several thousands of years with the discovery of a dragon statue dating back to the fifth millennium BC from the Yangshao culture in Henan in 1987.

Ruler of weather and water

Chinese dragons are strongly associated with water and weather in popular religion. They are believed to be the rulers of moving bodies of water, such as waterfalls, rivers, or seas.

There are four major Dragon Kings, representing each of the Four Seas: the East Sea (corresponding to the East China Sea), the South Sea (corresponding to the South China Sea), the West Sea (sometimes seen as the Qinghai Lake and beyond), and the North Sea (sometimes seen as Lake Baikal).

Number nine

A close up view of one full dragon (and the tail end and claw of another) from the Nine Dragons handscroll painted in AD 1244 by Chen Rong, an artist of the Song Dynasty

The number nine is special in China as it is seen as number of the heaven, and Chinese dragons are frequently connected with it. For example, a Chinese dragon is normally described in terms of nine attributes.

There are a number of places in China called "Nine Dragons", the most famous being Kowloon (in Cantonese) in Hong Kong. The part of the Mekong in Vietnam is known as Cửu Long, with the same meaning.

Dragon dancing

Main page: Dragon dance

On auspicious occasions, including Chinese New Year and the opening of shops and residences, festivities often include dancing with dragon puppets. These are "life sized" cloth-and-wood puppets manipulated by a team of people, supporting the dragon with poles. They perform choreographed moves to the accompaniment of drums, drama, and music. They also wore good clothing made of silk.

Images for kids

Bronze dragon from Sanxingdui, Shang dynasty
Jade dragon, Zhou dynasty
Jade dragon pendants, Zhou dynasty
Dragon imagery on an eaves-tile
Dragon carving on a tomb, Liao dynasty (916–1125)
Dragon decoration at the base of a pillar, Song dynasty
Marble statue of double dragons at Jietai Temple
Dragon crown, Liao dynasty
Yellow dragon on a black vase, Yuan dynasty
Textile with dragon design, Yuan dynasty
A dragon seen floating among clouds, on a golden canteen made during the 15th century, Ming dynasty
Bronze dragon, Qing dynasty
Double dragons on a piece of textile, Qing dynasty
The C-shaped jade totem of Hongshan culture (c. 4700–2920 B.C.)
Jade-carved dragon ornament from the Warring States period (403–221 BC).
Jade dragon, Warring States period
Detail of an embroidered silk gauze ritual garment from a 4th-century BC Zhou era tomb at Mashan, Hubei province, China. The flowing, curvilinear design incorporates dragons, phoenixes, and tigers.
Pulao on a bell in Wudang Palace, Yangzhou
Qianlong era Bixi near Marco Polo Bridge, Beijing
Five-clawed dragon on porcelain ball, Qing dynasty
Reverse of bronze mirror, 8th century, Tang dynasty, showing a dragon with three toes on each foot
Wall tile depicting the Azure Dragon of the East, Ilkhanate
Mural depicting the Azure Dragon of the East in a Goryeo tomb
The Nine-Dragon Wall in Datong, built in 1392, Ming dynasty
Pillar with dragon decoration from the Yingzao Fashi, Song dynasty
Dragon column remains, Jin dynasty (1115–1234)
Column with dragon design at Temple of Confucius, Qufu, constructed in 1730, Qing dynasty
Dragon columns at the Temple of Confucius, Qufu
Stone relief of dragons between a flight of stairs in the Forbidden City
Dragon symbols on the eaves-tiles of the Forbidden City
Emperor Taizong of Tang in dragon robes
Dragon images on the borders of Empress Yang's robes, Song dynasty
The Hongwu Emperor in a dragon robe, Ming dynasty
The Qianlong Emperor in ceremonial armor decorated with numerous images of dragons, Qing dynasty
Ceremonial Qing dynasty armour with dragon imagery, 18th c.
Court robe with nine dragons, Qing dynasty
Court robe with nine dragons, Qing dynasty
Man riding a dragon, Warring States period
Azure Dragon of the East, Han dynasty
Dragon in a scroll painting, Jin dynasty (1115–1234)
Boats with dragon heads, Yuan dynasty, 14th century
Cloud Dragon by Anonymous, Ming dynasty, 15th-16th century
Dragon clouds and waves, 16th-17th century
Constellation deity riding a dragon, Ming dynasty, 16th c.
Bronze chariot shaft in the shape of a dragon head, Warring States period
Bronze dragon head handle, Han dynasty
Gold seal with dragon handle, given to Nanyue by the Han dynasty
Lobed mirror, Tang dynasty
Gilt gold dragon, Tang dynasty
Dragon and phoenix crowns, Liao dynasty
Bronze sitting dragon, Jin dynasty (1115-1234)
Jade cloud dragon, Warring States period
Jade belt clasp, Northern and Southern dynasties period
Jade belt plaque, Yuan dynasty
Jade belt plaque, Ming dynasty
Jade belt plaque, Ming dynasty
Jade seal with dragon handle
Jade vase
Pot with black dragon design, Song dynasty
Dragon on blue and white vase from the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), Jingdezhen, unearthed in Jiangxi Province.
Lidded jar with yellow dragon, Ming dynasty
Blue-and-white porcelain plate with a dragon, Ming dynasty
Cup depicting a seaside dragon, Ming dynasty
Plate with two dragons, Qing dynasty
Bowl with red dragon, Qing dynasty
Ziwei Chenheng, an armillary sphere with dragons holding it up
Non-Imperial Chinese dragon in Shanghai
Mini-Sculpture of a Dragon on top of a temple in Hsinchu, Taiwan
Giant dragon statues surrounded by the sea at Sanggar Agung Temple, Surabaya, Indonesia
The Chinese dragon statue at Vihara Dharmayana Kuta, Bali, Indonesia