What do dragons represent in Chinese mythology?
Chinese culture
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and East Asian culture at large. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. They 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 in East Asian culture. During the days of Imperial China, the Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength. They are also the symbol and representative for the Son of Heaven, the Mandate of Heaven, the Celestial Empire and the Chinese Tributary System during the history of China.
LGBT themes in mythology
Homosexual encounters are common in Chinese folk stories. The animal spirits or fairies often choose same-sex partners, usually young men or boys. According to Xiaomingxiong, one exception to this age preference is the dragon, a powerful mythological beast. Chinese dragons "consistently enjoy[s] sexual relationships with older men", one example being in the tale of "Old Farmer and a Dragon", in which a sixty-year-old farmer is forcibly sodomised by a passing dragon, resulting in wounds from penetration and bites that require medical attention.
Chi (mythology)
Chi () means either "a hornless dragon" or "a mountain demon" (namely, "chimei" 螭魅) in Chinese mythology. Hornless dragons were a common motif in ancient Chinese art, and the "chiwen" 螭吻 (lit. "hornless-dragon mouth") was an Imperial roof decoration in traditional Chinese architecture.
Tiger in Chinese culture
The tiger has been common in the southern and northeastern China, and is revered by the Chinese as a creature with many symbolic attributes. Each direction of the compass is traditionally believed to be ruled by a mythical creature; the White Tiger is the ruler of the West. The tiger is also associated with autumn, when it comes down from the mountains into villages, and is personified by the constellation Orion, which is prominent in autumn. In Chinese astrology, the star Alpha of the Great Bear constellation gave birth to the first tiger. The tiger represents the masculine principle in nature and is king of all the animals, as shown by the four stripes on his forehead, which form the character Wang (王), or King. The tiger is regarded as one of the four super-intelligent creatures, along with the dragon, phoenix and tortoise; for centuries, the four have been a major design motif in Chinese art.
Chinese dragon
The coiled dragon or snake form played an important role in early Chinese culture. The character for "dragon" in the earliest Chinese writing has a similar coiled form, as do later jade dragon amulets from the Shang period.
Snakes in Chinese mythology
Snakes (also known as serpents) are an important motif in Chinese mythology. There are various myths, legends, and folk tales about snakes. Chinese mythology refers to these and other myths found in the historical geographic area(s) of China. These myths include Chinese and other languages, as transmitted by Han Chinese as well as other ethnic groups (of which fifty-six are officially recognized by the current administration of China). Snakes often appear in myth, religion, legend, or tales as fantastic beings unlike any possible real snake, often having a mix of snake with other body parts, such as having a human head, or magical abilities, such as shape shifting. One famous snake that was able to transform back and forth between a snake and a human being was Madam White Snake in the Legend of the White Snake. Other snakes or snakelike beings sometimes include deities, such as Fuxi and Nüwa and Gong Gong. Sometimes Fuxi and Nuwa are described as snakes with human heads and sometimes as humans with dragon or serpent tails...
Jiaolong
Jiaolong () or jiao is a polysemous aquatic dragon in Chinese mythology. Edward H. Schafer describes the "jiao":Spiritually akin to the crocodile, and perhaps originally the same reptile, was a mysterious creature capable of many forms called the "chiao" ("kău"). Most often it was regarded as a kind of "lung" – a "dragon" as we say. But sometimes it was manlike, and sometimes it was merely a fish. All of its realizations were interchangeable. (1967:217-8)
Chinese dragon
The dragon is sometimes used in the West as a national emblem of China though such use is not commonly seen in the People's Republic of China or the Republic of China. Instead, it is generally used as the symbol of culture. In Hong Kong, the dragon was a component of the coat of arms under British rule. It was later to become a feature of the design of Brand Hong Kong, a government promotional symbol.
Chinese guardian lions
The Buddhist version of the Lion was originally introduced to Han China as the protector of dharma and these lions have been found in religious art as early as 208 BC. Gradually they were incorporated as guardians of the Chinese Imperial dharm. Lions seemed appropriately regal beasts to guard the emperor's gates and have been used as such since. There are various styles of guardian lions reflecting influences from different time periods, imperial dynasties, and regions of China. These styles vary in their artistic detail and adornment as well as in the depiction of the lions from fierce to serene.
Chinese dragon
Oldest known attestation of the "children of the dragon" list is found in the "Shuyuan Zaji" (椒园杂记, "Miscellaneous records from the bean garden") by Lu Rong (1436–1494); however, he noted that the list enumerates mere synonyms of various antiques, not children of a dragon. The nine sons of the dragon were commemorated by the Shanghai Mint in 2012's year of the dragon with two sets of coins, one in silver, and one in brass. Each coin in the sets depicts one of the 9 sons, including an additional coin for the father dragon, which depicts the nine sons on the reverse.
Hong (rainbow-dragon)
""Hong" < *"g'ung" 虹 'rainbow' has always represented a dragon to the Chinese," says Carr (1990:103), "from Shang oracle pictographs of dicephalous sky-serpents to the modern 虹 graph with the 'wug' radical." The mythic Chinese "hong" "rainbow" dragon has a few parallels in the natural world (two-headed snake, Rainbow Snake Farancia erytrogramma, and Rainbow Boa Epicrates cenchria) and many in comparative mythology (see rainbows in mythology and snakes in mythology).
Chinese alligator
Unlike dragons in myths of the Western Hemisphere, Chinese myths portray its dragon as a symbol of "royal power and good fortune", frequently helping and saving people. The Chinese dragon is able to fly and swim; however, unlike dragons in the Western Hemisphere, it does not have wings. The relatively harmless nature of the Chinese alligator is believed to have been an influence for the helpful nature of the dragon. The fact that the alligator ends its hibernation when the rainy season begins and returns to its burrows when the rainwater in rivers recedes, as well as the fact that it lives in bodies of water, may be the reason for the dragon's portrayal as a water-related mythological creature. Alligator drums may have been used to simulate the species' vocalizations during the mating season, which humans associated with the dragon's "power of summoning rainclouds". "Tu long", which was previously a common name of the Chinese dragon in China, translates to "earth dragon" in English.
Yellow Dragon
The Yellow Dragon ( or ) is the zoomorphic incarnation of the Yellow Emperor of the centre of the universe in Chinese religion and mythology.
Vietnamese dragon
The Tran dragon symbolised the martial arts, because the Tran kings were descended from a mandarin commander. The Tran era was also marked by a series of devastating invasions by the Mongol followed by repeated incursions by Champa. 
In this period, the Vietnamese dragon's image was evolved into typical form of Vietnam's dragons. Differing from those of the previous dynasty, dragons in this age are not only represented in a curved posture among clouds but also in others. These dragons were majestic, with lion-heads. Instead of a fiery crest, they have a large nose. Their bodies only curve in two sections. Their feet have five sharp claws.
Chinese dragon
Because of this association, they are seen as "in charge" of water-related weather phenomena. In premodern times, many Chinese villages (especially those close to rivers and seas) had temples dedicated to their local "dragon king". In times of drought or flooding, it was customary for the local gentry and government officials to lead the community in offering sacrifices and conducting other religious rites to appease the dragon, either to ask for rain or a cessation thereof.
Chinese folk religion
The concept 神 ""shén"" (cognate of 申 "shēn", "extending, expanding") is translated as "gods" or "spirits". There are "shén" of nature; gods who were once people, such as the warrior Guan Gong; household gods, such as the Stove God; as well as ancestral gods ("zu" or "zuxian"). In the domain of humanity the "shen" is the "psyche", or the power or agency within humans. They are intimately involved in the life of this world. As spirits of stars, mountains and streams, "shen" exert a direct influence on things, making phenomena appear and things grow or extend themselves. An early Chinese dictionary, the "Shuowen jiezi" by Xu Shen, explains that they "are the spirits of Heaven" and they "draw out the ten thousand things". As forces of growth the gods are regarded as "yang", opposed to a "yin" class of entities called 鬼 ""guǐ"" (cognate of 歸 "guī", "return, contraction"), chaotic beings. A disciple of Zhu Xi noted that "between Heaven and Earth there is no thing that does not consist of yin and yang, and there is no place where yin and yang are not found. Therefore there is no place where gods and spirits do not exist". The dragon is a symbol of "yang", the principle of generation.
Chinese dragon
The tiger is considered to be the eternal rival to the dragon, thus various artworks depict a dragon and tiger fighting an epic battle. A well used Chinese idiom to describe equal rivals (often in sports nowadays) is ""Dragon versus Tiger"". In Chinese martial arts, ""Dragon style"" is used to describe styles of fighting based more on understanding movement, while ""Tiger style"" is based on brute strength and memorization of techniques.
Teng (mythology)
Some bilingual Chinese dictionaries translate "teng" as "wingless dragon", but this apparent ghost meaning is not found in monolingual Chinese sources. For instance, the Wiktionary and the Unihan Database translation equivalent for "teng" 螣 is "mythological wingless dragon of" . This dangling "of" appears to be copied from Robert Henry Mathews (1931:894) "Mathews' Chinese-English Dictionary" "A wingless dragon of the clouds", which adapted Herbert Giles's (1892:1352) dictionary "A wingless dragon which inhabits the clouds and is regarded as a creature of evil omen." While dragons are depicted as both winged and wingless (e.g., the lindworm "a bipedal wingless dragon"), Chinese dictionaries note "teng" "flying serpents" are "wuzu" 無足 "footless; legless" (see the "Xunzi" below) not "wingless".
Korean dragon
Ancient texts sometimes mention sentient "speaking" dragons, capable of understanding complex emotions such as devotion, kindness, and gratitude. One particular Korean legend speaks of the great King Munmu, who on his deathbed wished to become a "Dragon of the East Sea in order to protect Korea".
Dragon boat
Of the twelve animals which make up the traditional Chinese zodiac, only the Dragon is a mythical creature. All the rest are non-mythical animals, yet all twelve of the zodiac creatures were well known to members of ancient Chinese agrarian communities. Dragons were traditionally believed to be the rulers of water on earth: rivers, lakes, and seas; they were also thought to dominate the waters of the heavens: clouds, mists, and rains. There are earth dragons, mountain dragons, and sky or celestial dragons (Tian Long) in Chinese tradition. Mythical dragons and serpents are also found widely in many cultures around the world.
Pulao (dragon)
Pulao (), known in some early sources also as tulao (徒劳), and Pu Lao, is a Chinese dragon, and one of the 9 sons of the dragon. It is said in Chinese mythology that he likes to "roar", and therefore he is traditionally depicted on top of bells in China, and used as the hook by which the bells are hung.
Chiwen
The "chiwen" is listed second or third among the "Long sheng jiuzi" 龍生九子 ("dragon gives birth to nine young"), Nine Dragons (), which are traditional mythology creatures and become traditional Chinese fengshui architectural decorations. Each one of those creatures have a protective function. The Nine dragon are also used in many place names, such as Kowloon ("nine dragons" in Cantonese), in Hong Kong, but also numerous lakes, rivers or hamlets in mainland China.
Chinese mythology
Various deities, spirits, or other mythological beings are encountered in Chinese mythology, some of them related to the religious beliefs of China. Some of them are currently worshiped, some of them now only appear as characters in myths, and some both ways. Non-divine mythological beings are sometimes divided into several parts each ruled over by a particular type of being-- humans ruled over by the Emperor, winged creatures ruled over by the phoenix, and scaly, finned, or crawly creatures ruled over by the dragon.
Chinese dragon
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 and usually has 117 (9x13) scales—81 (9x9) Yang and 36 (9x4) Yin.
This is also why there are nine forms of the dragon and there are 9 sons of the dragon (see Classical depictions above). The Nine-Dragon Wall is a spirit wall with images of nine different dragons, and is found in imperial Chinese palaces and gardens. Because nine was considered the number of the emperor, only the most senior officials were allowed to wear nine dragons on their robes—and then only with the robe completely covered with surcoats. Lower-ranking officials had eight or five dragons on their robes, again covered with surcoats; even the emperor himself wore his dragon robe with one of its nine dragons hidden from view.
Ryukyuan religion
Representative of the power of the sea are dragons, who often make appearances in Ryukyuan legend. In the "Irosetsuden", for instance, dragons display powers like those of gods, and live in their own undersea kingdom. The traditional Ryukyuan conception of dragon is largely similar to that of China, though myths concerning an undersea kingdom of powerful reptilian beings are common to Central and East Asian cultures (see Reptilian humanoids in mythology).
Dragon (Dungeons &amp; Dragons)
In the "Dungeons & Dragons" ("D&D") fantasy role-playing game, dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters. As a group, "D&D" dragons are loosely based upon dragons from a wide range of fictional and mythological sources.
Southern Dragon Kung Fu
The dragon represented two of the ancient elements, Earth and Water, endowing the creature with powers of illusion and strength. A Yang symbol, the Taoists saw the dragon as a personification of the Tao itself—"the Dragon reveals himself only to vanish". Shaolin Buddhists saw him as a vision of enlightened truth, to be felt, but never to be held. Certain very old men were called dragons, these being well versed in the life-supporting skills of herbal medicine, agriculture, and kung fu. In early China, these skills were surely a matter of life or death, and those so educated were held in high regard.
Dog in Chinese mythology
Numerous statuary of Chinese guardian lions exist, which are often called ""Fu Dogs"" ""Foo Dogs"", ""Fu Lions"", ""Fo Lions"", and ""Lion Dogs"". Modern lions are not native in the area of China, except perhaps the extreme west; however, their existence was well known, and associated symbolism and ideas about lions were familiar; however, in China, artistic representations of lions tended to be dog-like. Indeed, "[t]he 'lion' which we see depicted in Chinese paintings and in sculpture bears little resemblance to the real animal, which, however, plays a big part in Chinese folklore."(Eberhard, 2003: 164) The reasons for referencing "guardian lions" as "dogs" in Western cultures may be obscure, however the phenomenon is well known.
Hong (rainbow-dragon)
"Although many ancient cultures believed rainbows were good omens," Carr (1990:101) explains, "the Chinese saw them as meteorological disasters. Unlike the auspicious ["long"] 龍 dragon symbolizing forthcoming rain, the two-headed ["hong"] 虹 was inauspicious because it appeared after a rain shower." The "Huainanzi" (3, Schindler 1923:322) says both rainbows and comets were warnings from "tian" "heaven; god". Several classic texts (e.g., Liu Xiang's "Shuoyuan" and "Xinxu") use the phrase "baihong guan ri" 白虹貫日 "bright rainbow threads the sun". For example, it is a portent of assassination in the "Zhanguoce" (297, tr. Crump 1979:454) "a white halo pierced the sun." One notable exception is the "Mengzi" (tr. Legge 1895:171) using "yunni" 雲霓 "cloud and rainbow" to describe the legendary Tang of Shang: "the people looked to him, as we look in a time of great drought to the clouds and rainbows."
Nine Dragons (painting)
Nine Dragons or 九龍圖卷 (陳容)
is a handscroll painting by Chinese artist Chen Rong from 1244. Depicting the apparitions of dragons soaring amidst clouds, mists, whirlpools, rocky mountains and fire, the painting refers to the dynamic forces of nature in Daoism. The depicted dragons are associated with nine sons of the Dragon King, while the number nine itself is considered auspicious in Chinese astrology and folk beliefs. It was last sold on the 14 of June 1917 for $25,000 but since has been taken back to the museum of fine arts Boston.
Cultural depictions of turtles
In China the traditional Chinese character symbolizing the turtle (龜) shows a head like that of a snake at the top, to the middle left of the paws, to the middle right of the shell, and at the bottom of the tail. According to the "Book of ceremonies", the white tiger, phoenix, tortoise, and dragon are the four entities that possess spirit. Tortoise shells were used for divination during the ancient Chinese Shang Dynasty and carry the earliest specimens of Chinese writing. Some Chinese are of the opinion that their script was taken from the signs on the back of the tortoise.
Jinhua Homestay Project
The dragons hold a very significant position in the Chinese tradition. They are supposed to bring good luck as they possess power, dignity and wisdom. Thus, the Chinese love to perform the Dragon dance during the Chinese New Year. Tourists from around the globe come to china to see this dance style
A huge dragon is made out of wood, with poles places at equal intervals to hold the dragon and it was decorated with beautiful lanterns and flowers. Chinese believe that longer the dragon, more good luck it is supposed to bring to the people. The participants can themselves carry the dragon along with the villagers and perform the dragon dance.
Fish in Chinese mythology
Fish are an important motif in Chinese mythology. There are various myths involving fish. The word for "fish", "yu" is a homophone for "abundance" and "affluence". (Eberhard, 1983: 106). Chinese mythology refers to those myths found in the historical geographic area of China. The geographic area of "China" is of course a concept which has evolved of changed through history. Fish in Chinese mythology include myths in Chinese and other languages, as transmitted by Han Chinese as well as other ethnic groups (of which fifty-six are officially recognized by the current administration of China). (Yang 2005:4) The Chinese dragon is the head of the fish clan.
Chinese dragon
The early Chinese dragons can be depicted with two to five claws. Different countries that adopted the Chinese dragon have different preferences; in Mongolia and Korea, the four-clawed dragons are used, while in Japanese dragon three-clawed dragons are common. By the Yuan dynasty, the five-clawed dragons became reserved for use by the emperor while the princes used four-clawed dragons. The usage of the dragon motif was codified during the Yuan dynasty, and phoenixes and five-clawed two-horned dragons may not be used on the robes of officials and other objects such as plates and vessels. It was further stipulated that for commoners, "it is forbidden to wear any cloth with patterns of Qilin, Male Fenghuang (Chinese phoenix), White rabbit, Lingzhi, Five-Toe Two-Horn Dragon, Eight Dragons, Nine Dragons, 'Ten thousand years', Fortune-longevity character and Golden Yellow etc."
Fenghuang
Fenghuang () are mythological birds found in East Asian mythology that reign over all other birds. The males were originally called feng and the females huang but such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and they are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be paired with the Chinese dragon, which is traditionally deemed male.
Hong (rainbow-dragon)
Hong or jiang () is a two-headed dragon in Chinese mythology, comparable with rainbow serpent legends in diverse cultures and mythologies.
Japanese dragon
Many Japanese dragon names are loanwords from Chinese. For instance, the Japanese counterparts of the astrological Four Symbols are:
Japanese "Shiryū" 四竜 "4 dragon [kings]" are the legendary Chinese "Longwang" 龍王 "Dragon Kings" who rule the four seas.
Vermilion Bird
It is often mistaken for the Fenghuang due to similarities in appearance, but the two are different creatures. The Fenghuang (similar to the phoenix in western mythologies) is a legendary ruler of birds who is associated with the Chinese Empress in the same way the dragon is associated with the Emperor, while the Vermilion Bird is a mythological spirit creature of the Chinese constellations.
Chinese dragon
The binomial name for a variety of dinosaurs discovered in China, "Mei long," in Chinese (寐 mèi and 龙 lóng) means ""sleeping dragon."" Fossilized remains of Mei long have been found in China in a sleeping and coiled form, with the dinosaur nestling its snout beneath one of its forelimbs while encircling its tail around its entire body.
From its origins as totems or the stylized depiction of natural creatures, the Chinese dragon evolved to become a mythical animal. The Han dynasty scholar Wang Fu recorded Chinese myths that "long" dragons had nine anatomical resemblances.The people paint the dragon's shape with a horse's head and a snake's tail. Further, there are expressions as 'three joints' and 'nine resemblances' (of the dragon), to wit: from head to shoulder, from shoulder to breast, from breast to tail. These are the joints; as to the nine resemblances, they are the following: his antlers resemble those of a stag, his head that of a camel, his eyes those of a demon, his neck that of a snake, his belly that of a clam ("shen", 蜃), his scales those of a carp, his claws those of an eagle, his soles those of a tiger, his ears those of a cow. Upon his head he has a thing like a broad eminence (a big lump), called ["chimu"] (尺木). If a dragon has no ["chimu"], he cannot ascend to the sky.
Chinese dragon
In many Buddhist countries, the concept of the nāga has been merged with local traditions of great and wise serpents or dragons, as depicted in this stairway image of a multi-headed nāga emerging from the mouth of a Makara in the style of a Chinese dragon at Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol on the premises of Wat Pha Namthip Thep Prasit Vararam in Thailand's Roi Et Province Nong Phok District.
Chinese mythology
One of the most famous dragons in Chinese mythology is Yinglong, the god of rain. Many people in different places pray to Yinglong to receive rain. Chinese people use the term 龍的傳人 ("Descendants of the Dragon") as a sign of their ethnic identity. Shenlong is a master of storms and bringer of rain. Zhulong the Torch Dragon is a giant red solar deity. Sometimes he appears in composite snake-like, human-dragon form. There were various dragon kings. They mostly lived undersea and were of the Ao family, such as Ao Guang.
Chinese dragon
Many pictures of Chinese dragons show a flaming pearl under their chin or in their claws. The pearl is associated with spiritual energy, wisdom, prosperity, power, immortality, thunder, or the moon. Chinese art often depicts a pair of dragons chasing or fighting over the flaming pearl.
Fish in Chinese mythology
Carp () can be transformations of dragons, or carp can sometimes change into dragons. According to tradition, a carp that could swim upstream and then leap the falls of the Yellow River at Dragon Gate (Longmen), would be transformed into a dragon: this motif symbolizes success in the civil service examinations (Eberhard, 1983:57-58). This is the Dragon Gate at the border of Shanxi and Shaanxi where the Yellow River flows through a cleft in the Longmen mountains, supposedly made by Yu the Great, who cut through the mountain. According to one account, all the carp competed at a yearly competition to leap the Longmen falls, those who succeeded were immediately transformed into dragons, and flew off into the sky. (Christie, 1968: 65 and 74) Pictures of Carp attempting to leap the Longmen falls have been enduringly popular in China. There are other Dragon Gates (Longmen) in the rivers of China, typically with steep narrows, and the mythological geography does not depend upon an actual location. The "flying carp" or "silver carp" ("Hypophthalmichthys molitrix") is native to China, and other parts of Asia. It is a great jumper. Silver carp are strong swimmers and researchers have observed them to jump 1.81-2.24 meters (approximately 5.94 to 7.75 feet) above the surface of the water with an angle of angle of leap of 44-70º (Parsons "et al" 2016). They are quite capable of swimming upstream and leaping over barriers in the water.
Longma
"Longma" or "dragon horse" connects with other creatures in Chinese folklore. While "longma" sometimes applies to the Qilin (Williams 1989:390), the closest relative is the legendary "tianma" 天馬 "heavenly horse" or the "Chinese Pegasus", which was metaphorically identified with the "hanxiema" 汗血馬 "blood-sweating horse" or Ferghana horse. A poem attributed to Emperor Wu of Han celebrates a 101 BCE victory over Western tribes.
The Heavenly Horses are coming, Coming from the Far West. They crossed the Flowing Sands, For the barbarians are conquered. … The Heavenly Horses are coming; Jupiter is in the Dragon. Should they choose to soar aloft, Who could keep pace with them? They will draw me up and carry me To the Holy Mountain of K'un-lun. The Heavenly Horses have come And the Dragon will follow in their wake. I shall reach the of Heaven, I shall see the Palace of God. (tr. Waley 1955:96-97) 
In Chinese astrology, the Dragon and Horse are two of the twelve animals. A "Zhuangzi" (列禦寇) story mentions finding a "pearl worth a thousand pieces of gold" under the chin of a "lilong" 驪龍 "black-horse dragon".
Chinese dragon
Chinese scholars have classified dragons in diverse systems. For instance, Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty canonized five colored dragons as "kings".
With the addition of the Yellow Dragon of the Center to Azure Dragon of the East, these Vermilion, White, and Black Dragons coordinate with the Four Symbols, including the Vermilion Bird of the South, White Tiger of the West, and Black Tortoise of the North.
Crane in Chinese mythology
Cranes are an important motif in Chinese mythology. There are various myths involving cranes, and in Chinese mythology cranes are generally symbolically connected with the idea of immortality (d, 1983: 75-76). Chinese mythology refers to those myths found in the historical geographic area of China. The geographic area of "China" is of course a concept which has evolved of changed through history. Cranes in Chinese mythology include myths in Chinese and other languages, as transmitted by Han Chinese as well as other ethnic groups (of which fifty-six are officially recognized by the current administration of China). (Yang 2005:4) The motifs of cranes may vary in a range from reference to real cranes (such as the red-crowned crane) to referring to transformed Taoist immortals "(xian)", who sometimes were said to have magical abilities to transform into cranes in order to fly on various journeys.
Human uses of reptiles
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with snake-like or reptilian traits, in the myths of both European and Chinese cultures, with counterparts in Japan, Korea and other East Asian countries.
The (genuine) plesiosaur "Woolungasaurus" is named after the Woolunga, a mythical reptile of Australia. In Greek mythology snakes are associated with deadly antagonists, as a chthonic symbol, roughly translated as 'earthbound'. The nine-headed Lernaean Hydra that Hercules defeated and the three Gorgon sisters are children of Gaia, the earth. Medusa was one of the three Gorgon sisters who Perseus defeated. Medusa is described as a hideous mortal, with snakes instead of hair and the power to turn men to stone with her gaze. After killing her, Perseus gave her head to Athena who fixed it to her shield called the Aegis. The Titans are also depicted in art with snakes instead of legs and feet for the same reason—they are children of Gaia and Uranus, so they are bound to the earth.
Jason Morgan and Sam McCall
The Chinese mythological symbols of the Dragon and the Phoenix have been used to represent Jason and Sam individually as well as their union as a married couple. Throughout their relationship Jason and Sam have had an affinity for Chinese food. When they went to escape the stress of their wedding, they ended up in the Asian Quarter of town at a little Chinese restaurant. The couple’s wedding was infused with a lot of Chinese tradition. During their wedding ceremony in the garden, Jason stood under the symbol of the Dragon and Sam stood under the symbol of the Phoenix. In Chinese mythology, the Phoenix symbolizes luck, success, beauty and prosperity. The Phoenix was considered the goddess of all winged creatures and was often the symbol of the Empress. The Dragon symbolizes protection, strength, wealth, good fortune and vigilance. It is regarded as the ultimate being amongst all creatures and was often the symbol of the Emperor. Together, the dragon and the phoenix represent the ultimate union of yin and yang. They represent wedded bliss, harmony, happiness in marriage, people who are "meant to be," success and prosperity, as well as many offspring, and the beginning of a dynastic family. For Christmas on December 23, 2011, Jason and Sam exchanged dragon and phoenix figurines. The couple's son, Daniel, was born in the year of the dragon and their daughter, Emily, was born in the year of the phoenix (fire rooster). During their wedding ceremony the minister, Robert Yi recited these words on the dragon and the phoenix:
Chinese dragon
The elm cultivar "Ulmus pumila" 'Pendula', from northern China, called 'Weeping Chinese Elm' in the West, is known locally as "Lung chao yü shu" (: 'Dragon's-claw elm') owing to its branching.While depictions of the dragon in art and literature are consistent throughout the cultures in which it is found, there are some regional differences.
Chinese dragon
Further, the same author enumerates nine other kinds of dragons, which are represented as ornaments of different objects or buildings according to their liking prisons, water, the rank smell of newly caught fish or newly killed meat, wind and rain, ornaments, smoke, shutting the mouth (used for adorning key-holes), standing on steep places (placed on roofs), and fire.
The "Sheng'an waiji" (升庵外集) collection by the poet Yang Shen (楊慎, 1488–1559) gives different 5th and 9th names for the dragon's nine children: the "taotie" (), which loves to eat and is found on food-related wares, and the "jiaotu" (), which looks like a conch or clam, does not like to be disturbed, and is used on the front door or the doorstep. Yang's list is "bixi", "chiwen" or "cháofēng", "pulao", "bi'an", "taotie", "qiuniu", "yazi", "suanni", and "jiaotu".
Oriental dragon (disambiguation)
An Oriental dragon or Chinese dragon is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology and folklore.
Longtaitou Festival
The Longtaitou Festival (), also known as the Eryue'er Festival（二月二）, is a traditional Chinese festival held on the second day of the second month of the Chinese calendar. The festival is a reflection of the ancient agrarian Chinese culture. In the tradition of Chinese culture, the dragon is believed to be the king of all creatures and the ancestor of human beings. It is also believed to be in charge of bringing rains, and both of these are important factors in ancient agricultural society. It is literally referred to as "Dragon rising its head" (lóng tái tóu, 龙抬头) because the dragon was traditionally regarded in China as the deity in charge of rain, an important factor in ancient agriculture. It is sometimes also simply called "2 Month 2", (Er Yue Er, 二月二) for short. Longtaitou Festival is different from Zhonghe Festival for the latter was an official festival and holiday in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and it was celebrated on the first day of the second month of the Chinese calendar.
Dog in Chinese mythology
Dogs are an important motif in Chinese mythology. These motifs include a particular dog which accompanies a hero, the dog as one of the twelve totem creatures for which years are named, a dog giving first provision of grain which allowed current agriculture, and claims of having a magical dog as an original ancestor in the case of certain ethnic groups.
Korean dragon
Whereas most dragons in European mythology are linked to the elements of fire and destruction, dragons in Korean mythology are primarily benevolent beings related to water and agriculture, often considered bringers of rain and clouds. Hence, many Korean dragons are said to have resided in rivers, lakes, oceans, or even deep mountain ponds.
Dragon
In the "Shanhaijing", a classic mythography probably compiled mostly during the Han dynasty, various deities and demigods are associated with dragons. One of the most famous Chinese dragons is Ying Long ("Responding Dragon"), who helped the Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, defeat the tyrant Chiyou. The dragon Zhulong ("Torch Dragon") is a god "who composed the universe with his body." In the "Shanhaijing", many mythic heroes are said to have been conceived after their mothers copulated with divine dragons, including Huangdi, Shennong, Emperor Yao, and Emperor Shun. The god Zhurong and the emperor Qi are both described as being carried by two dragons, as are Huangdi, Zhuanxu, Yuqiang, and Roshou in various other texts. According to the "Huainanzi", an evil black dragon once caused a destructive deluge, which was ended by the mother goddess Nüwa by slaying the dragon.
A large number of ethnic myths about dragons are told throughout China. The "Houhanshu", compiled in the fifth century BC by Fan Ye, reports a story belonging to the Ailaoyi people, which holds that a woman named Shayi who lived in the region around Mount Lao became pregnant with ten sons after being touched by a tree trunk floating in the water while fishing. She gave birth to the sons and the tree trunk turned into a dragon, who asked to see his sons. The woman showed them to him, but all of them ran away except for the youngest, who the dragon licked on the back and named Jiu Long, meaning "Sitting Back". The sons later elected him king and the descendants of the ten sons became the Ailaoyi people, who tattooed dragons on their backs in honor of their ancestor. The Miao people of southwest China have a story that a divine dragon created the first humans by breathing on monkeys that came to play in his cave. The Han people have many stories about Short-Tailed Old Li, a black dragon who was born to a poor family in Shandong. When his mother saw him for the first time, she fainted and, when his father came home from the field and saw him, he hit him with a spade and cut off part of his tail. Li burst through the ceiling and flew away to the Black Dragon River in northeast China, where he became the god of that river. On the anniversary of his mother's death on the Chinese lunar calendar, Old Li returns home, causing it to rain. He is still worshipped as a rain god.
In China, dragons are closely associated with rain and drought is thought to be caused by a dragon's laziness. Prayers invoking dragons to bring rain are common in Chinese texts. The "Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals", attributed to the Han dynasty scholar Dong Zhongshu, proscribes making clay figurines of dragons during a time of drought and having young men and boys pace and dance among the figurines in order to encourage the dragons to bring rain. Texts from the Qing dynasty advise hurling the bone of a tiger or dirty objects into the pool where the dragon lives; since dragons cannot stand tigers or dirt, the dragon of the pool will cause heavy rain to drive the object out. Rainmaking rituals invoking dragons are still very common in many Chinese villages, where each village has its own god said to bring rain and many of these gods are dragons. Although stories of the Dragon Kings are among the most popular dragon stories in China today, these stories did not begin to emerge until the Eastern Han, when Buddhist stories of the serpent rain-god Nāga became popular. Taoists began to invent their own dragon kings and eventually such stories developed in every major Chinese religion. According to these stories, every body of water is ruled by dragon king, each with a different power, rank, and ability, so people began establishing temples across the countryside dedicated to these figures.
Many traditional Chinese customs revolve around dragons. During various holidays, including the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, villagers will construct an approximately sixteen-foot-long dragon from grass, cloth, bamboo strips, and paper, which they will parade through the city as part of a dragon dance. The original purpose of this ritual was to bring good weather and a strong harvest, but now it is done mostly only for entertainment. During the Duanwu festival, several villages, or even a whole province, will hold a dragon boat race, in which people race across a body of water in boats carved to look like dragons, while a large audience watches on the banks. The custom is traditionally said to have originated after the poet Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River and people raced out in boats hoping to save him, but most historians agree that the custom actually originated much earlier as a ritual to avert ill fortune. Starting during the Han dynasty and continuing until the Qing dynasty, the Chinese emperor gradually became closely identified with dragons, and emperors themselves claimed to be the incarnation of a divine dragon. Eventually, dragons were only allowed to appear on clothing, houses, and articles of everyday use belonging to the emperor and any commoner who possessed everyday items bearing the image of the dragon were ordered to be executed. After the last Chinese emperor was overthrown in 1911, this situation changed and now many ordinary Chinese people identify themselves as descendants of dragons.
Chinese numismatic charm
Another hypothesis on why star, moon, cloud and dragon symbols started appearing on Chinese cash coins is that they represent Yin and Yang and the Wu Xing, or more specifically the element of water (水), this hypothesis claims that the appearance of these symbols wasn't accidental but a manifestation of the fundamental belief of the ancient Chinese people of the time in Yin Yang energy and the elements of the Wu Xing. The Hanzi character for a "spring" (泉), which in this context refers to the underground source of water also meant "coin" in ancient China. In Chinese mythology the moon was an envoy or messenger from the heavens and water was cold air of Yin energy that was being accumulated and had their origins on the moon. As the moon was the spirit in charge of water in Chinese mythology and was in fact its essence the alleged meaning of crescent symbols representing "the moon" on cash coins could indicate that cash coins have to circulate just like water which flows, gushes, and rises. The symbolism of "clouds" or "auspicious clouds" in this context may then refer to the fact that clouds cause rain, in the Book of Changes the second trigram is mentioned to be representative of the element water which appear in the heavens as clouds, this would also imply that like flowing water cash coins should circulate freely. The appearance of wiggly-lines that represent Chinese dragons happened around this time as well and may have also been based on the Wu Xing element of water as dragons were thought to be water animals that were the bringers of both the winds and the rain, this would also confirm that dragons represented the nation that the circulation of cash coins should be free akin to how water flows. In later Chinese charms, amulets, and talismans the dragon became a symbol of the Chinese emperor as well as the central government of China and its power.
Dragon dance
The dragon dance is often performed during Chinese New Year. Chinese dragons are a symbol of China's culture, and they are believed to bring good luck to people, therefore the longer the dragon in the dance, the more luck it will bring to the community. The dragons are believed to possess qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. The appearance of a dragon is both fearsome and bold but it has a benevolent disposition, and it was an emblem to represent imperial authority. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolize historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity.
Throne of Jade
In the alternate setting, dragons are an important part of Chinese society. Unlike the European nations, which consider dragons to be barely controlled monsters, the Chinese folklore on dragons views them as symbols of power, wisdom, and good luck. Dragons are considered equal citizens and it is even mentioned in the text that dragons have sometimes held the throne. The book reveals that the status of Celestial dragons in China resulted in the events of the first book; rather than simply invoking dragons as symbols, emperors in the "Temeraire" setting have "actual" dragons (specifically the Celestial breed) as bond companions. In order to prevent a crisis of succession from two Celestials, the court decided to send Temeraire's egg to Napoleon because he held the title Emperor, perhaps unaware that it was self-styled.
Birds in Chinese mythology
Certain birds in mythology transport deities, immortals, or others. One example is the Crane in Chinese mythology.
Chinese dragon
In many other countries, folktales speak of the dragon having all the attributes of the other 11 creatures of the zodiac, this includes the whiskers of the Rat, the face and horns of the Ox, the claws and teeth of the Tiger, the belly of the Rabbit, the body of the Snake, the legs of the Horse, the goatee of the Goat, the wit of the Monkey, the crest of the Rooster, the ears of the Dog, and the snout of the Pig.
Serpent (symbolism)
Occasionally, serpents and dragons are used interchangeably, having similar symbolic functions. The venom of the serpent is thought to have a fiery quality similar to a fire spitting dragon. The Greek Ladon and the Norse Níðhöggr (Nidhogg Nagar) are sometimes described as serpents and sometimes as dragons. In Germanic mythology, "serpent" (Old English: "wyrm", Old High German: "wurm", Old Norse: "ormr") is used interchangeably with the Greek borrowing "dragon" (OE: "draca", OHG: "trahho", ON: "dreki"). In China and especially in Indochina, the Indian serpent nāga was equated with the "lóng" or Chinese dragon. The Aztec and Toltec serpent god Quetzalcoatl also has dragon like wings, like its equivalent in K'iche' Maya mythology Q'uq'umatz ("feathered serpent"), which had previously existed since Classic Maya times as the deity named Kukulkan.
Chinese guardian lions
Asiatic lions were once quite common throughout their historic range in Southwest, South and Central Asia and are believed to be the ones depicted by the guardian lions in Chinese culture. In India, where the Asiatic lion also lived, it is known by its ancient Sanskrit name "Sinh" or "Simha" (सिंह) and due to travels of Buddhist monks many East Asian languages have borrowed from this Sanskrit word for lion. Since ancient times Lion statues adorned palaces and temples and other important buildings in India and in Buddhist culture Lion was depicted as the protector of Dharma. In Hinduism lions are associated with Gods and Goddesses.
Sun Loong
Dragons are an important part of Chinese culture. Large processional dragons have been used in Chinese festivals for over a thousand years. After Chinese came to Bendigo in the 1850s for the gold rush many settled and later in the 1870s the Chinese community became a part of the annual Bendigo Easter Festival. It was in this parade that the local Chinese started bringing their old dragon dancing traditions, to Bendigo.
Chinese mythology
Various birds are found in Chinese mythology, some of them obviously based on real birds, other ones obviously not, and some in-between. The Crane is an example of a real type of bird with mythological enhancements. Cranes are linked with immortality, and may be transformed "xian" immortals, or ferry an immortal upon their back. The Vermilion Bird is iconic of the south. Sometimes confused with the Fenghuang, the vermilion bird of the south is associated with fire. The Peng was a gigantic bird phase of the gigantic Kun fish. The Jingwei is a mythical bird which tries to fill up the ocean with twigs and pebbles symbolizing indefatigable determination. The Qingniao was the messenger or servant of Xi Wangmu.
Chinese dragon
The dragon was the symbol of the Chinese emperor for many dynasties. During the Qing dynasty, the Azure Dragon was featured on the first Chinese national flag. It featured shortly again on the Twelve Symbols national emblem, which was used during the Republic of China, from 1913 to 1928.
Han Chinese
Chinese folk religion is a set of worship traditions of the ethnic deities of the Han people. It involves the worship of various figures in Chinese mythology, folk heroes such as Guan Yu and Qu Yuan, mythological creatures such as the Chinese dragon, or family, clan and national ancestors. These practices vary from region to region, and do not characterize an organized religion, though many traditional Chinese holidays such as the Duanwu (or Dragon Boat) Festival, Qingming, and the Mid-Autumn Festival come from the most popular of these traditions.
Chinese dragon
Several Ming dynasty texts list what were claimed as the Nine Offspring of the Dragon (龍生九子), and subsequently these feature prominently in popular Chinese stories and writings. The scholar Xie Zhaozhe (, 1567–1624) in his work "Wu Za Zu" (, c. 1592) gives the following listing, as rendered by M.W. de Visser:
A well-known work of the end of the sixteenth century, the "Wuzazu" , informs us about the nine different young of the dragon, whose shapes are used as ornaments according to their nature.
Dragon
One of the most famous dragon stories is about the Lord Ye Gao, who loved dragons obsessively, even though he had never seen one. He decorated his whole house with dragon motifs and, seeing this display of admiration, a real dragon came and visited Ye Gao, but the lord was so terrified at the sight of the creature that he ran away. In Chinese legend, the culture hero Fu Hsi is said to have been crossing the Lo River, when he saw the "lung ma", a Chinese horse-dragon with seven dots on its face, six on its back, eight on its left flank, and nine on its right flank. He was so moved by this apparition that, when he arrived home, he drew a picture of it, including the dots. He later used these dots as letters and invented Chinese writing, which he used to write his book "I Ching". In another Chinese legend, the physician Ma Shih Huang is said to have healed a sick dragon. Another legend reports that a man once came to the healer Lo Chên-jen, telling him that he was a dragon and that he needed to be healed. After Lo Chên-jen healed the man, a dragon appeared to him and carried him to heaven.
Chinese mythology
Various mythology of China involves fish or fish-like beings. Part human, part sea creatures of the Mermaid (人魚) type appear. The Kun (or Peng) was a giant monstrous fish transformation of the Peng bird. Carp that leapt the dragon gate falls of the Yellow River were said to transform into dragon. This was used as a symbol for a scholar's successful graduation in the Imperial examination system.
Chiwen
Chiwen (, Chi Wen) is a Chinese dragon, and one of the 9 sons of the dragon in Chinese mythology. He is depicted in imperial roof decorations and other ornamental motifs in traditional Chinese architecture and art.
Chinese dragon
Chinese literature and myths refer to many dragons besides the famous "long". The linguist Michael Carr analyzed over 100 ancient dragon names attested in Chinese classic texts. Many such Chinese names derive from the suffix -"long":
Fewer Chinese dragon names derive from the prefix "long"-:
Sárkány (mythology)
Before the 18th century, dragons were part of the ancient Hungarian belief system. According to their oldest, universal function, dragons originally symbolized the unity of the material and spiritual world, and they had a transcendental meaning as they had the role of being the transmitter between two realms. Later, they got associated with natural phenomena, where were either the makers or the appeasers of the violent forces of nature. It could be stated that in most cases, they were bringers of rainstorms and tornados, as the Hungarian people believed that the rumble of the thunder was the roaring of battling dragons above the clouds, which crashed the clouds with their tails in the heat of the fight, and in consequence, flood was pouring over the Hungarian fields.
Descendants of the Dragon
The song states that China is the dragon, and Chinese people the "Descendants of the Dragon". Although the use of Chinese dragon as a motif has a long history, using dragon to represent the Chinese people only became popular since the 1970s. During the pre-modern dynastic periods, the dragon would often be associated with the rulers of China and used as a symbol of imperial rule, and there were strict stipulations on the use of the dragon by commoners since the Yuan dynasty. Although the Qing government used the dragon as its imperial symbol on the flag of China, it was only during the early Republican era that the dragon began to be used to represent Chinese civilisation.
Dog in Chinese mythology
Dogs also feature in various historical and legendary accounts or stories, found in the extensive literary records of China, although in some cases the lines between myth and ancient history are uncertain. However, in many myths, legends, or other accounts of dogs in Chinese literature, the dog or dogs are presented in ways that in have no appearance of the fanciful or fantastic (as opposed to the way other creatures may typically be handled in mythology, such as in the case of turtles, snakes, dragons, or often even horses).
Tiger in Chinese culture
In Chinese folk tales, tigers kill evil men and protect good men. Tiger charms are used to keep away disease and evil, and babies are given colourfully embroidered tiger shoes for protection. Tiger images frequently decorate children's clothing and tops. The "Tiger Claw" (hu chao) amulet is believed to ward off sudden fright and give the wearer the courage of the tiger. Because the tiger wards off disasters, it is popular as one of the nine gods worshipped at the New Year Festival. Tiger images are painted on the walls of homes and temples to keep away evil spirits. Dragon-Tiger Mountain is the name for the palace of the hereditary head of the Daoist religion, located in the Dragon Tiger Mountains of Jiangxi Province, east of the capital city of Nanchang. Zhang Daoling (Chang Tao-ling), the "First Master of Heaven" in the Daoist religion, is depicted riding a tiger and carrying a demon-dispelling sword as he escorts the dead to their final destination. A Daoist legend tells of two brothers who took on the role of protecting human beings by capturing demons and throwing them to tigers.
Dragon (Dungeons &amp; Dragons)
In "D&D", dragons are depicted as any of various species of large, intelligent, magical, reptilian beasts, each typically defined by a combination of their demeanor and either the color of their scales or their elemental affinity. For example, a commonly presented species of dragon is the red dragon, which is named for its red scales, and known for its evil and greedy nature, as well as its ability to breathe fire.
Japanese dragon
When Buddhist monks from other parts of Asia brought their faith to Japan they transmitted dragon and snake legends from Buddhist and Hindu mythology. The most notable examples are the "nāga" ナーガ or 龍 "Nāga; rain deity; protector of Buddhism" and the "nāgarāja" ナーガラージャ or 龍王 ”Nāgaraja; snake king; dragon king". de Visser (1913:179) notes that many Japanese nāga legends have Chinese features. "This is quite clear, for it was via China that all the Indian tales came to Japan. Moreover, many originally Japanese dragons, to which Chinese legends were applied, were afterwards identified with nāga, so that a blending of ideas was the result." For instance, the undersea palace where nāga kings supposedly live is called Japanese ryūgū 龍宮 "dragon palace" from Chinese "longgong" 龍宮. Compare ryūgū-jō 龍宮城 "dragon palace castle", which was the sea-god Ryūjin's undersea residence. Japanese legends about the sea-god's tide jewels, which controlled the ebb and flow of tides, have parallels in Indian legends about the nāga's "nyoi-ju" 如意珠 "cintamani; wish-fulfilling jewels".
Chinese dragon
The Dragon is one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac which is used to designate years in the Chinese calendar. It is thought that each animal is associated with certain personality traits. Dragon years are usually the most popular to have children. There are more people born in Dragon years than in any other animal years of the zodiac.
Dragon
Korean folk mythology states that most dragons were originally (이무기), or lesser dragons, which were said to resemble gigantic serpents. There are a few different versions of Korean folklore that describe both what imugis are and how they aspire to become full-fledged dragons. Koreans thought that an Imugi could become a true dragon, or "yong" or "mireu", if it caught a Yeouiju which had fallen from heaven. Another explanation states they are hornless creatures resembling dragons who have been cursed and thus were unable to become dragons. By other accounts, an Imugi is a "proto-dragon" which must survive one thousand years in order to become a fully fledged dragon. In either case they are said to be large, benevolent, python-like creatures that live in water or caves, and their sighting is associated with good luck.
Chinese dragon
According to Chinese legend, both Chinese primogenitors, the earliest Door and the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi), were closely related to 'Long' (Chinese dragon). At the end of his reign, the first legendary ruler, the Yellow Emperor, was said to have been immortalized into a dragon that resembled his emblem, and ascended to Heaven. The other legendary ruler, the Yan Emperor, was born by his mother's telepathy with a mythical dragon. Since the Chinese consider the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor as their ancestors, they sometimes refer to themselves as ""the descendants of the dragon"". This legend also contributed towards the use of the Chinese dragon as a symbol of imperial power.
Don Ahn
Another influence or concept in Ahn's work is the dragon, a good and powerful figure from Korean and Chinese mythology, whose movements and forms Ahn suggests in whimsical ribbon-like marks and trails of paint. In Korean folk tales, dragons show goodwill to humans by sending clouds and rain, and they tend to live in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Paying tribute to this Folkloric legacy, Ahn's paintings bear titles such as Brown Dragon and Yellow Dragon, as well as titles using names of underwater creatures and habitats, like Phantasy in the Deep Sea.
Chinese mythology
Specific dragons, or types of dragon, include: Dilong, the earth dragon; Fuzanglong, the treasure dragon; Jiaolong, dragon of floods and sea; Teng, a flying creature, sometimes considered a type of snake or dragon-snake; Tianlong, the celestial dragon, sometimes associated with centipede qualities; Yinglong, the water dragon, a powerful servant of the Yellow Emperor.
Longmu
In Chinese mythology, Longmu (), transliterated as Lung Mo in Cantonese, was a Chinese woman who was deified as a goddess after raising five infant dragons. Longmu and her dragons developed a strong bond for each other, and have thus become an example of filial devotion and parental love, an important virtue in Chinese culture.
Birds in Chinese mythology
Birds in Chinese mythology and legend are of numerous types and very important in this regard. Some of them are obviously based on real birds, other ones obviously not, and some in-between. The Crane is an example of a real type of bird with mythological enhancements. Cranes are linked with immortality, and may be transformed "xian" immortals, or ferry an immortal upon their back. The Vermilion Bird is iconic of the south. Sometimes confused with the Fenghuang, the vermilion bird of the south is associated with fire. The Peng was a gigantic bird phase of the gigantic Kun fish. The Jingwei is a mythical bird which tries to fill up the ocean with twigs and pebbles symbolizing indefatigable determination. The Qingniao was the messenger or servant of Xi Wangmu.
Yellow Dragon
In East Asian culture, the Yellow Dragon is the fifth symbol completing the Sixiang (Four Symbols). This deity is the centre of the cosmos and it represents the element earth, the Chinese quintessence, as well as the changing of the seasons.
Teng (mythology)
The Chinese books above repeatedly parallel the "tengshe" "soaring snake; flying dragon" with its near synonym "feilong" "flying dragon". Like the "tianlong" "heavenly dragon", these creatures are associated with clouds and rainfall, as Visser (1913:109) explains.
The Classics have taught us that the dragon is thunder, and at the same time that he is a water animal akin to the snake, sleeping in pools during winter and arising in spring. When autumn comes with its dry weather, the dragon descends and dives into the water to remain there till spring arrives again.
Yellow Dragon
The Yellow Emperor was said to have turned in the form of the Yellow Dragon at the end of his life, to ascend to Heaven. Since the Chinese consider him to be their ancestor, they sometimes refer to themselves as "children of the dragon". This legend also contributed towards the use of the Chinese dragon as a symbol of imperial power.
Green
Modern Chinese dragons are also often green, but unlike European dragons, they are benevolent; Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. The Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength. The dragon dance is a popular feature of Chinese festivals.
Horse in Chinese mythology
One of the main characters in the classic novel "Journey to the West" mostly appears in the form of a white horse, but is really a converted dragon (Yu (1980, 1977)): "passim") Yulong, the third son of a Dragon King (Ao Run, of the West Sea): in order to redeem himself from his past unfilial sins, Boddhisatva Guan Yin gracefully allows him to serve as a mount for the monk Xuanzang during his mission to fetch scriptures from "the West". 
Monkey (Sun Wukong) is employed in Heaven as a supervisor of the celestial stables. He also battles Horse-face guardians, during his epic harrowing of hell. Throughout the novel, the dragon-horse serves a role as part of a fairly elaborate metaphor (or conceit), in which the white horse symbolizes mental will, or mindful willpower.
Open-work charm
Chinese dragons are often used as a theme for open-work charms with the vast majority of dragon themed open-work charms depicting two dragon, while amulets with a single dragon are less frequently seen. An example of an open-work charm with only a single Chinese dragon has the dragon is facing left with its head located just to the left of central hole. The neck of the dragon is shaped like an "S" while its body is coiled upwards of its head. Unlike other Chinese numismatic charms which depict two seasons open-work charms that depict two Chinese dragons rarely have them face each other but more often have them chase each others tails. In many cases the two dragons appear to be fighting over a pearl which could be the wish-granting pearl from the Chinese eight treasures.
Lung dragon
Lung dragons are based upon oriental (Chinese and Japanese) dragons as opposed to the western-based True Dragons, and appear in correspondingly themed settings such as Kara-Tur or Rokugan. Lung dragons are spirits that embody and empower aspects of nature rather than being normal, physical creatures. Most lung dragons don't have breath weapons, but possess instead a variety of spell-like abilities.
Dragon
Japanese dragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories about dragons from China, Korea and India. Like these other Asian dragons, most Japanese ones are water deities associated with rainfall and bodies of water, and are typically depicted as large, wingless, serpentine creatures with clawed feet. Gould writes (1896:248), the Japanese dragon is "invariably figured as possessing three claws". A story about the "samurai" Minamoto no Mitsunaka tells that, while he was hunting in his own territory of Settsu, he fell asleep under a tree and had a dream in which a beautiful woman appeared to him and begged him to save her land from a giant serpent which was defiling it. Mitsunaka agreed to help and the maiden gave him a magnificent horse. When he woke up, the horse was standing before him. He rode it to the Sumiyoshi temple, where he prayed for eight days. Then he confronted the serpent and slew it with an arrow.
Chinese dragon
This description accords with the artistic depictions of the dragon down to the present day. The dragon has also acquired an almost unlimited range of supernatural powers. It is said to be able to disguise itself as a silkworm, or become as large as our entire universe. It can fly among the clouds or hide in water (according to the "Guanzi"). It can form clouds, can turn into water, can change color as an ability to blend in with their surroundings, as an effective form of camouflage or glow in the dark (according to the "Shuowen Jiezi").
Bixi
Bixi, or Bi Xi (), is a figure from Chinese mythology. One of the 9 sons of the Dragon King, he is depicted as a dragon with the shell of a turtle. Stone sculptures of Bixi have been used in Chinese culture for centuries as a decorative plinth for commemorative steles and tablets, particularly in the funerary complexes of its later emperors and to commemorate important events, such as an imperial visit or the anniversary of a World War II victory. They are also used at the bases of bridges and archways. Sculptures of Bixi are traditionally rubbed for good luck, which can cause conservation issues. They can be found throughout East Asia in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, and even the Russian Far East.
Dragon
The earliest attested dragons resemble giant snakes. Dragon-like creatures are first described in the mythologies of the ancient Near East and appear in ancient Mesopotamian art and literature. Stories about storm-gods slaying giant serpents occur throughout nearly all Indo-European and Near Eastern mythologies. Famous prototypical dragons include the "mušḫuššu" of ancient Mesopotamia, Apep in Egyptian mythology, Vṛtra in the "Rigveda", the Leviathan in the Hebrew Bible, Python, Ladon, Wyvern, and the Lernaean Hydra in Greek mythology, Jörmungandr, Níðhöggr, and Fafnir in Norse mythology, and the dragon from "Beowulf".
Dragon
The word "dragon" has also come to be applied to the Chinese "lung" (龍, Pinyin "long"), which are associated with good fortune and are thought to have power over rain. Dragons and their associations with rain are the source of the Chinese customs of dragon dancing and dragon boat racing. Many East Asian deities and demigods have dragons as their personal mounts or companions. Dragons were also identified with the Emperor of China, who, during later Chinese imperial history, was the only one permitted to have dragons on his house, clothing, or personal articles.
The Dragon Pearl
When teenagers Josh (Louis Corbett) and Ling (Li Lin Jin) join their respective parents, Chris (Sam Neill) and Dr. Li (Wang Ji) on an archaeological dig in China they encounter something trapped beneath a temple beyond their wildest imagination. A real live Chinese dragon. Two thousand years earlier, to defend his kingdom, the dragon lent an emperor his all powerful pearl. Instead of being returned the pearl was buried with the emperor beneath his palace, and helpless without its source of power the dragon has remained entombed ever since. With the Dragon Pearl buried on the excavation site, Josh and Ling implore their parents for help, but met with disbelief the children realize they must find the pearl on their own. However thereʼs one who does believe them: archaeologist Philip Dukas (Robert Mammone), who wants to seize the pearlʼs awesome power for his own sinister ambitions. The only way to stop him is for Josh and Ling to get to it first and return it to its rightful owner.Dragons are legendary creatures that appear in the myths of many cultures. In the West, European dragons are depicted as reptilian or serpent-like creatures that breathe fire. The Chinese dragon is completely different. Chinese dragons are benevolent creatures that give emperors their power and are representative of all the forces of nature. In many representations of the Chinese dragons, they are shown pursuing the elusive flaming pearl, the symbol of all power and knowledge.
Cultural depictions of turtles
For the Chinese, the tortoise is sacred and symbolizes longevity, power, and tenacity. It is said that the tortoise helped Pangu (also known as P'an Ku) create the world: the creator goddess Nuwa or Nugua cuts the legs off a sea turtle and uses them to prop up the sky after Gong Gong destroys the mountain that had supported the sky. The flat plastron and domed carapace of a turtle parallel the ancient Chinese idea of a flat earth and domed sky. For the Chinese as well as the Indians, the tortoise symbolizes the universe. Quoting Pen T'sao, "the upper dome-shaped part of its back has various signs, which correspond with the constellations on the sky, and this is Yan; the lower part has many lines, which relate to the earth and is the Yin.
Chinese guardian lions
Chinese or Imperial guardian lions, also known as liondogs or foodogs in English, are a traditional Chinese architectural ornament. Typically made of stone, they are also known as stonelions or shishi. The concept, which originated and became popular in Chinese Buddhism, features a pair of highly stylized lions—often one male with a ball and one female with a cub—which were thought to protect the building from harmful spiritual influences. Used in imperial Chinese palaces and tombs, the lions subsequently spread to other parts of Asia including Japan (see komainu), Korea, Tibet, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, and Singapore.
Japanese dragon
Chinese dragon mythology is central to Japanese dragons. Japanese words for "dragon" are written with "kanji" ("Chinese characters"), either simplified "shinjitai" 竜 or traditional "kyūjitai" 龍 from Chinese "long" 龍. These "kanji" can be read "tatsu" in native Japanese "kun'yomi" and "ryū" or "ryō" in Sino-Japanese "on'yomi".
Chinese culture
Fenghuang (鳳凰) are mythological birds found in East Asian mythology that reign over all other birds. The males were originally called feng and the females huang but such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and they are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be paired with the Chinese dragon, which is traditionally deemed male. The fenghuang is also called the "August Rooster" () since it sometimes takes the place of the Rooster in the Chinese zodiac. In the Western world, it is commonly called the Chinese phoenix or simply Phoenix, although mythological similarities with the Western phoenix are superficial.