Chinese Dragons

The dragon is an important and revered symbol in China.

The Chinese dragon is a symbol of wisdom, power, and luck in Chinese culture. Unlike western dragons, oriental dragons are usually seen as benevolent and kind. Dragons have long been a symbol in Chinese folklore and art. Temples and shrines have been built to honor them.

Through the symbol of the dragon, many Chinese see divine attributes which they aspire to themselves. In fact, the Chinese are sometimes referred to as "descendants of the dragon." The dragon is held in reverence and respect in Chinese culture. It is unseemly to defile a depiction of a dragon. Dragons are referenced by several Chinese proverbs.

Chinese dragons control the rain, rivers, lakes, and sea. They can ward off wandering evil spirits, protect the innocent, and bestow safety unto all. They are called lóng in Mandarin Chinese (written 龍, simplified 龙), a word often spelled lung in older English books.

They fly in the sky among clouds. Most pictures of Chinese dragons show them playing with a flaming pearl. Legend has it that the pearl gives them their power and allows them to ascend into heaven.

The Legend of the Carp says that a carp able to leap over the mythical Dragon Gate will become a dragon. Many have sought out the true location of this Gate, but none have found it. Several waterfalls and cataracts in China are believed to be the location of the Dragon Gate, most famously Longmen ("Dragon Gate") on the Yellow River. This legend is an allegory for the drive and effort needed to overcome obstacles, and it was long used as an image for a student passing the imperial examinations.

Origins: 6,000 Years of Dragons

The Chinese dragon is far older than writing. In 1987 archaeologists excavating a Neolithic grave at Xishuipo, near Puyang in Henan province, found a dragon and a tiger laid out in clam shells on either side of the buried man. The grave is about 6,000 years old. In northeastern China, the Hongshan culture carved curled jade creatures that collectors call "pig dragons." By the Shang dynasty (about 1600 to 1046 BC), a character for lóng appears on oracle bones, and dragon designs cover bronze ritual vessels.

Early books treat dragons as part of the natural and spiritual order. The I Ching (Yijing, the "Book of Changes") opens with a hexagram whose lines describe a dragon hidden in the deep, a dragon appearing in the field, and a dragon flying in the heavens. The Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), a book of strange geography compiled between the Warring States period and the early Han dynasty, describes many dragon-like spirits, including the Torch Dragon (Zhulong), whose opening and closing eyes make day and night. The great historian Sima Qian, in the Shiji, tells how the legendary Yellow Emperor rose to heaven on the back of a dragon.

Physiology

Chinese dragons have serpentine bodies, four legs, and are usually without wings. They are said to be a composite of various other animals: the body of a snake, the antlers of a deer, the talons of an eagle, the soles of a tiger, the scales of a carp, and the eyes of a demon. It is said that Chinese dragons have 117 scales, 81 of them filled with yang (positive) energy and 36 with yin (negative) energy.

This list of borrowed parts goes back to the Han dynasty scholar Wang Fu, whose "nine resemblances" are still quoted: horns like a stag, head like a camel, eyes like a demon, neck like a snake, belly like a clam, scales like a carp, claws like an eagle, paws like a tiger, and ears like a cow. Later writers added a few more features. A Chinese dragon often has long whiskers, a beard under its chin where the pearl is sometimes kept, and a lump on its head called the chimu, which lets it fly without wings. For comparison with other kinds of dragons, see our page on dragon anatomy.

They are usually depicted with four toes. In the traditional symbol of the emperor, the dragon is depicted with five. In Japan, dragons are depicted with three toes.

The Dragon and the Emperor

For more than two thousand years the dragon was the emblem of imperial power. The emperor was called the "True Dragon, Son of Heaven," sat on the Dragon Throne, and wore robes embroidered with dragons. His face was the "dragon face," and his bed was the "dragon bed." The empress was paired with the fenghuang, a bird often translated as the Chinese phoenix, so dragon-and-phoenix designs still decorate weddings today.

Under the Yuan and Ming dynasties, rules began to restrict the five-clawed dragon to the emperor and his closest family. Officials and nobles could wear four-clawed dragons, often called mang (python) rather than lóng, and misusing the imperial dragon could be treated as a serious crime. The Forbidden City in Beijing is filled with dragons on roofs, stairways, and ceilings, and the colorful glazed-tile Nine-Dragon Walls in Beijing and Datong are among the best-known dragon artworks in the world.

Types

There are nine types of classical Chinese dragons often listed in Western books. They are as follows:

1. Tianlong, the Celestial Dragons, are the celestial dragons who pull the chariots of the gods and guard their palaces.
2. Shenlong, the Spiritual Dragons, control the wind and the rain.
3. Fucanglong, the Dragons of Hidden Treasures, are underworld dragons which guard buried treasures, both natural and man-made. Volcanoes are said to be created when they burst out of the ground to report to heaven.
4. Dilong, the Underground Dragons, are earth dragons whose task it is to preside over rivers and streams.
5. Yinglong, the Winged Dragons, are said to be the oldest of all eastern dragons and the only kind with wings. In the Shan Hai Jing, Yinglong serves the Yellow Emperor and brings rain.
6. Qiulong, the Horned Dragons, are considered to be the mightiest dragons.
7. Panlong, the Coiling Dragons, are water dragons believed to mostly inhabit the lakes of the Orient.
8. Huanglong, the Yellow Dragons, are known for their scholarly knowledge. In one legend, a yellow dragon emerged from the River Luo and presented the legendary ruler Fu Xi (Fu Hsi) with the elements of writing.
9. Lóng Wáng, the Dragon Kings, are rulers over each of the four seas, those of the east, south, west, and north. Although their true form is that of a dragon, they have the ability to shapeshift into human form. They live in crystal palaces guarded by shrimp soldiers and crab generals.

This neat list of nine is a modern summary, not an ancient system. Chinese writers used many overlapping names. A jiao, for example, is a scaly water dragon that can cause floods, and a chi is a hornless dragon often seen in carved decoration. Ancient books also describe dragons by color, with azure, red, yellow, white, and black dragons linked to the five directions and elements.

The Dragon Kings

The Dragon Kings (Lóng Wáng) are the dragons ordinary Chinese people prayed to most. Because they controlled rain, villages built Dragon King temples and held ceremonies to ask for rain during droughts or to stop floods. Folk religion gave every major river, lake, and well a dragon king of its own, but the four kings of the seas were the most important.

In the 16th-century novel Journey to the West, the four kings are brothers named Ao Guang (East Sea), Ao Qin (South Sea), Ao Run (West Sea), and Ao Shun (North Sea). The Monkey King, Sun Wukong, bullies Ao Guang into giving him his famous magic staff from the undersea palace. In Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), the boy god Nezha kills a son of the Dragon King of the East Sea, a story still popular in films and animation. These books treat the Dragon Kings as powerful but very human officials of heaven, who can be proud, frightened, or punished for disobeying orders.

The Nine Sons of the Dragon

A popular saying holds that "the dragon has nine sons, and none of them is a dragon." Ming dynasty scholars listed these nine children, each with its own personality and its own job in decoration. Lists vary, but a common one includes:

• Bixi, a turtle-like dragon who loves to carry heavy loads. He holds up stone tablets on his back.
• Chiwen, who likes to gaze into the distance and swallow things. He sits on palace roof ridges to protect against fire.
• Pulao, who loves to roar. His shape forms the hook at the top of bronze bells.
• Bi'an, a tiger-like son who loves lawsuits. He guards prison gates.
• Taotie, a glutton whose face decorates food vessels.
• Baxia or Qiuniu, depending on the list. Baxia loves water and appears on bridges and canals, while Qiuniu loves music and decorates instruments.
• Yazi, who loves to fight. He appears on sword hilts and blades.
• Suanni, a lion-like son who loves smoke and fire. He sits on incense burners.
• Jiaotu, a shy, shell-like creature that likes to close itself up. He appears on door knockers.

Some lists include Chaofeng, who loves danger and perches on the corners of roofs. Walk through an old Chinese temple or palace and you can spot most of the nine.

Festivals: Dragon Boats and Dragon Dances

The Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu) falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, usually in June. Teams race long, narrow boats with carved dragon heads and tails while a drummer keeps the beat. The festival is most often linked to the poet Qu Yuan of the state of Chu, who drowned himself in the Miluo River in the third century BC. According to tradition, local people paddled out to search for him and threw rice into the water so that fish would leave his body alone. That is said to be the origin of zongzi, sticky rice dumplings wrapped in leaves, eaten at the festival today. Dragon boat racing is now an international sport.

The dragon dance is performed at Chinese New Year and other celebrations. A team of dancers carries a long cloth dragon on poles, making it twist and ripple while another dancer leads it with a pearl on a stick. Longer dragons are considered luckier, and some festival dragons are many dozens of meters long. The dragon dance is different from the lion dance, which uses two dancers inside a single lion costume. During the Lantern Festival at the end of the New Year season, glowing dragon lanterns are paraded through the streets.

The Year of the Dragon

The Dragon is the fifth of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, and the only mythical one. Recent Dragon years began in 2000, 2012, and 2024; the next starts in 2036. (Because the Chinese year begins between late January and mid-February, people born in January may belong to the previous animal.) People born in a Dragon year are traditionally described as confident, ambitious, and lucky, and many families consider it a fortunate year to have a child. Birth rates in China and in some Chinese communities abroad have been observed to rise in Dragon years.

Dragons in Chinese Sayings

Dragons fill the Chinese language. Parents "hope their son becomes a dragon" (wàng zǐ chéng lóng), meaning they want him to succeed. "Painting the dragon and dotting the eyes" (huà lóng diǎn jīng) means adding the finishing touch that brings a work to life; it comes from a story about the painter Zhang Sengyou, whose dragons flew off the wall when he painted in their eyes. "Lord Ye loves dragons" (Yè Gōng hào lóng) mocks someone who claims to love something but runs from the real thing, after a nobleman who decorated his house with dragons and fled in terror when a real dragon came to visit.

Chinese Dragons Beyond China

The Chinese dragon spread across East Asia. Japanese ryū, Korean yong, and Vietnamese rồng all share its long body, water powers, and pearl, while adding local legends. Japanese dragons, as noted above, usually have three claws, and Korean dragons are often shown with four. Read about these neighbors on our Dragons Across Cultures page, and about famous Asian dragons such as Yu on our famous dragons page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Chinese dragons breathe fire?

Not usually. Chinese dragons are water and weather spirits that bring rain and clouds. Fire-breathing is mainly a feature of Western dragons.

Why don't Chinese dragons have wings?

They fly by magic, not muscle. Traditional sources say the lump on the dragon's head, the chimu, allows it to rise into the sky. Yinglong is the main exception and is shown with wings.

What is the pearl a Chinese dragon chases?

The flaming pearl is usually explained as a symbol of wisdom, spiritual energy, or the moon, or as the source of the dragon's power. Dragons are often shown chasing or guarding it among the clouds.

How many claws does a Chinese dragon have?

Usually four. The five-clawed dragon was reserved for the emperor under the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and Japanese dragons are commonly shown with three.

Are Chinese dragons good or evil?

Mostly good, but not always gentle. They bring rain and luck, yet an angry or neglected dragon could cause floods, storms, or drought, which is why people built temples and made offerings to keep dragons happy.

Sources and Further Reading

• The I Ching or Book of Changes, trans. Richard Wilhelm, rendered into English by Cary F. Baynes, 3rd ed. (Princeton University Press, 1967).
• The Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing), trans. Anne Birrell (Penguin Classics, 1999).
• The Songs of the South: An Ancient Chinese Anthology of Poems by Qu Yuan and Other Poets, trans. David Hawkes (Penguin Classics, 1985).
• Wu Cheng'en, The Journey to the West, trans. Anthony C. Yu, rev. ed., 4 vols. (University of Chicago Press, 2012).
• M. W. de Visser, The Dragon in China and Japan (Johannes Müller, 1913).
• Roel Sterckx, The Animal and the Daemon in Early China (State University of New York Press, 2002).
• Wolfram Eberhard, A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought, trans. G. L. Campbell (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1986).