Chinese mythology
The Chinese dragon is one of the most important mythical creatures in Chinese mythology, considered to be the most powerful and divine creature and the controller of all waters who could create clouds with their breath. The dragon symbolized great power and was very supportive of heroes and gods. The conventional dragon has a certain description, however there are other dragons or dragon-like beings that vary from this description. For example, the Chi of mythology lacks horns. Dragons often chase or play with a mystical or flaming pearl. A dragon-fenghuang pairing is a common motif in art, the fenghuang often being called a "phoenix".
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."