Chinese Dragons: The Mythology & the Art It Spawned

Chinese dragons are based on mythology thatwith water, it is a likely theory.The imperial
goes back thousands of years. In Europeandragon, called lung, is part of four animals
mythology the dragon has a negative connotation,considered to have spiritual power: the phoenix,
but in the Chinese culture dragons are benevolentunicorn, and tortoise. The dragon is the foremost
creatures that possess power, wisdom, and theof the four animals, and is considered to have
ability to bring good luck. The imperial dragon, thewisdom and power. It represented the emperors
lung, is one of the most common types. Dragonsof China, who themselves were called dragons.
represented emperors in the imperial age, andLung is believed to have evolved from the Indian
were believed to have divine powers. Dragons aredragonlike nagas, which were snakes with human
associated with water, perhaps reflecting the wayfaces that lived in subterranean water.Chinese
that the ancient Chinese viewed alligators during adragon artIn Chinese art, the dragon is depicted in
flood. In Chinese art dragons are beautifullyvarious vivid colors. However, the chiao type has
depicted in vivid colors. One of the most ancienta green stripe on its back, yellow sides, and a red
forms of dragon art in China is jade sculpturing,belly. The lung type is either green or gold, with
some of which date back 5,000 years, including ashort and long spines on its back and tail.Lung
statute that is 26 cm long. Chinese dragon are stilldragons have nine main characteristics: a
depicted in art, and the dragon is continues to becamel-like head, deer-like horns, hare-like eyes,
revered as a creature that brings prosperity andbull-like ears, iguana-like neck, frog-like belly,
abundance, and the ultimate symbol of goodcarp-like scales, tiger-like paws, and eagle-like
luck.The Chinese today believe that the dragon isclaws. It also has large canine-like teeth on the
an extinct animal. Some experts believe that theupper part of its jaw, and long whiskers (probably
dragon mythology stems from how the ancientbelieved to be used for moving at the bottom of
Chinese viewed the alligators during a floodmuddy water).
season. Considering that dragons are associated