Enter the Dragon 龍的傳人

2024 is the Year of the Dragon, the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, and always considered the auspicious and powerful year. Chinese people refer themselves as “descendants of the dragon” 龍的傳人, so let’s take a closer look at this imaginary creature we called the dragon.

遥远的东方有一条龙 The Oriental Dragon

While Western dragons are often depicted as winged, fire-breathing monsters, the Chinese dragon is a symbol of strength and magnanimity. The mythical creature is so revered that it snagged a spot as the only fictional creature in the Chinese zodiac’s divine roster¹.

The presence of dragons within Chinese culture dates back several thousands of years with the discovery of a dragon statue made of clam shells from the Yangshao culture (c.5000-3000 BC) in Henan in 1987, and jade badges of rank in coiled form have been excavated from the Hongshan culture (c. 4700–2900 BC).

Tomb with Dragon and Tiger Shell Drawings 蚌塑“龙虎”墓 (Neolithic)

To the east of the tomb owner is a large dragon mosaic, 1.78 meters in length and 0.67 meters in height, whose head, claws, tail and overall body, to a large extent, are similar to today’s dragon image in traditional Chinese culture. It is the earliest and most vivid dragon object ever found in China, thus enjoying the reputation of “The First Dragon of China”. To the west of the tomb owner is a vivid tiger, 1.39 meters in length and 0.63 meters in height. Matching dragon and tiger together symbolises masculinity and power in traditional Chinese culture.

The oracle scripts on these turtle shell fragments read, “癸丑卜，貞：灷（Zhuan）往追龍，從條西，及。” (left) and “貞：龍來以”. Zhuan “灷” was a general during Shang Wu Ding period 商代武丁 (remember him? Husband of Fu Hao and Fu Jing). In other oracle scripts, he was described as chasing a snake-like creature, finally subduing it for King Wu Ding’s use. Thus, the oracle character of the dragon is made up of Zhuan on a snake-like creature.

Subsequently, the character of “dragon” 龍 in Jin script 金文 used in bronze wares is also made up of Zhuan on top of a snake-like creature.

巨龙脚底下我成长 The Dragon from Neolithic to Zhou Dynasty

Dragon as a mythical creature was first mentioned in “Classic of Mountains and Seas”《山海经》. Eight types of dragons are listed in the book.

They played a significant role in shaping the psyche and development of the Chinese civilisation.

Jade Dragon from Hongshan Culture 红山文化玉龙 (Neolithic)

Some of the earliest dragon artefacts are the C-shaped jade dragons 玉龍 (top) and pig dragon 豬龍 carvings (bottom) from the Neolithic Hongshan culture (c.4700-2900 BC). Hongshan culture is noted for its fine jade objects, often carved with animal themes and motifs. 

Jade Pig-Dragon from Hongshan Culture 紅山文化玉豬龍 (Neolithic)

These dragons still possess the body of the snake with an animal heads, the most common being pig, horse, and oxen. These dragons have smooth bodies and most probably became divine items of worship because the Ying dragon 應龍 helped the Great Yu 大禹 tamed the floods.

Fu Hao Jade Dragon 妇好玉龙 (Shang)

By Shang dynasty (c. 16th-11th centuries BC), the dragons gain their horns. The general appearance of the dragon¹¹ can actually be seen as a composite of real animals: The trunk of a snake, scales of a carp, tail of a whale, antlers of a stag, face of a camel, talons of eagles, ears of a bull, feet of a tiger, and the eyes of a (dragon) lobster.

Pu Food Container with Openwork and Coiling Kui Dragon Pattern 鏤空蟠䕫紋鋪 (Mid Spring-Autumn)

During Zhou dynasty (c.1046-256 BC) where the Chinese bronze age reached its epitome, it was on the surfaces of these bronze wares that dragon images effectively went into a visual explosion, their bodies undulating and intertwining with remarkable grace and precision.

Bronze Fanghu Square Wine Vessel 青铜方壶 (Spring-Autumn Period)

The complexity of the patterns points to the sophisticated thinking behind the painstaking effort the making of such extravagant wares must have entailed. These were sacrificial bronzes used during rituals by the same people who had engraved the word dragon on oracle bones for augury purposes.

Bronze Dragon 青铜龙 (Warring States)

At this stage, the dragons are still depicted as symbolic beings that guard the heaven and earth, often in pairs perhaps influenced by the long tradition of the Creation story of Nvwa 女娲 and Fuxi 伏羲, whom are depicted as intertwined bodies of the serpent.

This huge bronze ware coiling dragons was made by Qin either during the Warring States period (475-221 BC) or after they had annexed all the other states to form the first unified Chinese nation – the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC). The bronze ware could be an instrument stand, but after years of wars, the glorious bronze age has come to an end. The next stage of evolution, the dragon leaps out of these bronze wares and appears on ceramics, wood carvings and paintings.

他们全都是龙的传人 Evolving Images of the Dragon

Over the years, the manifestation of the dragon changed based on the cultural connotations given by the people of that period. From the dragon made from laying out shells during Neolithic period to artistic interpretations through handicrafts like jade carvings, the dragon remains a symbol of power, strength and magnanimity.

Jade Openwork Disc with Dragon and Phoenix 透雕龙凤纹重环玉佩 (Western Han)

By Han dynasty (202 BC – 9 AD, 25-220 AD), the image of the dragon has been properly defined to what we are familiar today. The Han dragon is vivid and often appears with the phoenix. In the early days, the dragon’s body was decorated with shallow grain pattern or cloud pattern, etc., but by late stages, the details are engraved with hairspring threads. The Han dragon began to have limbs and claws (three usually, clenched like a fist), shaped like a beast, and curled up tail.

Gilt Screen Support in Coiled Dragon Shape 蟠龙鎏金铜托座 (Western Han / Nanyue Period)

This Pan Dragon 蟠龙 bronze support (which comes as a pair) is used to hold the lacquered screen on bottom corners. The support of the screens is formed by a dragon (which looked like Donkey from”Shrek”), two snakes and three frogs.

Gold Dragons in Running Position 赤金走龙 (Tang)

By Tang dynasty (618-907), the dragon takes up a more natural form, mimicking real life animals. Scales appear on its body. A mane develops below the head, the nostrils higher than its eyes, the tail becomes tapered and the horns become longer.

Brick with Dragon Design from Kaibao Temple Pagoda 开宝寺塔龙纹砖 (Song)

By Song dynasty (960-1279), Taoism replaced Buddhism as the predominant religion in China. The painting of dragons became popular in the Song Dynasty, because Taoism regarded Laozi as the incarnation of the dragon and used the dragon to symbolise state of change in Taoism, which laid a profound ideological foundation for the development of dragon culture in the Yuan Dynasty.

Cizhou-Ware Jar with Dragon and Phoenix Design 白地黑花龙凤纹大罐 (Yuan)

In the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), Mongol rulers codified, for the first time, the use of dragon robes as the official court dress. The same people also put carved jade dragons on the top of their headdresses. The foreign rules wanted to restrict the use of the image of the dragon to the imperial family but fear repercussions among the Chinese majority. So they started to divide dragons based on the number of claws – five clawed dragons are reserved for the ruling class, there- and four-clawed dragons are ok to be used by the commoners. Chinese dragons began to have the concept of hierarchy.

Chests from the Imperial Archives 金匮石室 (Ming-Qing)

By Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the use of the dragon became something exclusive to the ruling class. The commoners cannot use the image of the dragons, no matter how many claws without permission of the Imperial Courts. And from Ming dynasty, only five-clawed dragons are called referred to as dragons. The rest are referred to as “pythons” 蟒 (mǎng).

Vase with Dragons among Floral Scrolls 青花龍穿花紋扁壺 (Ming)

The emperor robes are called the dragon robes 龙袍, the rest are awarded to the officials with designs similar to the dragon but are called (in descending order of prestige) “python” robe 蟒服, “flying fish” robe 飞鱼服 with a dragon head and fish body, and “fighting bull” robes 斗牛服 with a dragon head with bull horns.

And by the last dynastic empire, the Qing dynasty (1636/1644-1912) completely monopolised the narratives of the Imperial Dragon. Only the royal family can use the five-clawed dragons and the golden dragon is the exclusive symbol of the emperor. The Golden Dragon 金龙 is the only dragon with five claws (the others have four), and became the symbol of the emperor as a “Son of Heaven” 真龙天子.

她的名字就叫中国 Dragon in Chinese Culture

Over the years, the dragon becomes a powerful symbol of the Chinese culture because of the status applied the creature.

Symbolism of Nine Dragons

The dragon is a strong ‘yang’ animal (male; sun; light). As such it associated with the number nine (3 is ‘yang’ so 3×3 is very ‘yang’) and so Nine Dragons 九龍 are extremely propitious. Kowloon, part of Hong Kong means ‘nine dragons’ in Cantonese.

There are impressive imperial nine dragon walls of glazed tiles at both the Beihai Park and the Palace of Tranquil Longevity in Forbidden City at Beijing. And this image of the dragon is one that is most familiar around the world. The same wall has been replicated in Singapore (at the Chinese Chamber of Commerce), Vancouver, Chicago and many other places with a proper Chinese garden.

Nine Sons of the Dragons 龙生九子

One day the Ming emperor Hongzhi 明弘治 (b. 1470, r. 1487-1505) asked Li Dongyang 李东阳 (1447-1516) about which are the nine sons of the dragon 龍生九子¹², whose images are used as ornaments on monuments, buildings and sculptures according to their nature. He couldn’t give a definitive answer and asked for some time to research, and the findings were recorded in his memoir, “Collection from the Hall at the Foot of the Mountain“《怀麓堂集》.

Other sources¹³ mentioned different sons. A work of the end of the 16th century, Wuzazu 五雜俎 (c. 1592) by Xie Zhaozhe 謝肇淛 (1567–1624), tells us about other nine sons of the dragon, but we refer to the ones from Li Dongyang as the official nine sons. 

And the imagery pervades society today—whether in boats, dances, or the stars. The Chinese dragon has been adopted to nearby civilisations including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, etc, as a symbol of power and benevolence, making the dragon an Oriental one.

About the Artefacts Featured in this Post

Artefacts are from National Palace Museum (Sep 2023), The Palace Museum (May 2019), Hong Kong Palace Culture Museum (Dec 2023) , Xi’an Beilin Museum (Mar 2024), Museum of Nanyue King (Jan 2022).

1. There are 12 Chinese zodiac signs, in the following order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. ↩︎
2. 烛龙，另外一个名字叫做烛九阴，传说此龙乃是钟山之神。传说烛九阴人身蛇面，法力无边，他睁开眼就是白昼，他闭上眼就是黑夜，他吸气就是冬天，呼气就是夏天，他可以不眠不休，也不用吃饭睡觉。《山海经.大荒经》：“西北海之外，赤水之北，有章尾山。有神，人面蛇身而赤，直目正乘，其瞑乃晦，其视乃明。不食不寝不息，风雨是谒。是烛九阴，是谓烛龙。” ↩︎
3. 应龙，背上生有双翼，传说曾经辅助轩辕黄帝斩杀蚩尤，并且帮助大禹治水，用自己的尾巴画地成江河使得水流入大海。是一种瑞兽，能给大旱之地带来大雨。《山海经·大荒东经》：“应龙处南极，杀蚩尤夸父，不得复上。故下数旱，旱而为应龙之状，乃得大雨”。 ↩︎
4. 青龙，又名苍龙，在中国传统文化中是四象之一、天之四灵之一，根据五行学说，它是代表东方的灵兽，为青色的龙，五行属木，代表的季节是春季，八卦主震。苍龙随着时代演变，有时与应龙一样，都是身具羽翼，《张果星宗》称“又有辅翼，方为真龙”。有时又以无翼的形象出现。 ↩︎
5. “龙”，是指二十八宿中的东方苍龙，由角、亢、氐、房、心、尾、箕这七宿组成，其中角宿代表龙角，亢宿代表咽喉，氐宿代表龙爪，心宿代表心脏，尾宿和箕宿代表龙尾。苍龙七宿的出没与每年的农时相一致。春天农耕开始之际，苍龙七宿在东方夜空中开始上升；夏天作物生长，苍龙七宿高悬于南方夜空；到了秋天，庄稼丰收，苍龙七宿开始在西方下落；冬天万物伏藏，苍龙七宿则隐藏于北方地平线下。 ↩︎
6. 夔龙，传说中海上的一种神龙，形状如同牛一般，他出现的地方必然有风雨，黃帝得到此龙，用他的皮做成战鼓，鼓声如雷，震慑三军，因此得以打败蚩尤。《山海经 大荒东经》：“东海中有流坡山，入海七千里。其上有兽，状如牛，苍身而无角，一足，出入水则必有风雨，其光如日月，其声如雷，其名日‘夔’。黄帝得之，以其皮为鼓，橛以雷兽之骨，声闻五百里，以威天下。” ↩︎
7. 蛟龙，蛟龙别名黄龙，传说是鲧死后的肉体孕育所化，三岁的时候破体而出，化为蛟龙。《山海经•海内经》：“鲧死，三岁入腐，剖之以吴刀，化为黄龙。” ↩︎
8. 蟠龙，又作盘龙，是盘曲环绕状、没有升天的龙。根据《太平御览》转引的沈怀远《南越志》记载，其长四丈，身体青黑色并有红色带状纹路，经常随水而下入海。蟠龙也有毒性，被其伤害的人会随即死去。 ↩︎
9. 五爪金龙也称“黄龙”，在上古神话中，有记载过：青龙、黑龙、赤龙、白龙，但却很少记载金黄色的黄龙，关于五爪金龙的来历也很神奇，据说五爪金龙本是四爪白龙，体长百丈长，因吞食混沌处开后的天下圣果产生变异，成为金龙。金龙全身覆盖金色鳞片，血液也是金色，凡人得到金龙的血液之后，可长生不老起死回生，仙家得到金龙血液，可助长功力。一般的神龙都是四爪，只有金龙为五爪，人类称它为龙中皇者，皇上自称“真龙天子”中的龙就是五爪金龙，皇上的衣服上面刻画的龙也是五爪金龙。 ↩︎
10. 传说中的一种龙。《楚辞·天问》：“焉有虬龙，负熊以游？” 王逸 注：“有角曰龙，无角曰虬。言宁有无角之龙，负熊兽以游戏者乎？” 唐 贾岛 《望山》诗：“虬龙一掬波，洗荡千万春。” 明 王宠 《旦发胥口经湖中瞻眺》诗：“扬帆忽夭矫，赤水骖虬龙。” ↩︎
11. 从实物来看，“龙”作为祥瑞的文化符号，可能比文字要早。从商代始，龙形玉器从没间断过。从商代的蟠龙环、西周的龙纹璜、战国的玉龙、西汉楚王墓的玉龙等，至唐宋元明几朝更是蔚为壮观。1971年在内蒙古翁牛特旗三星塔拉发现的红山文化“C形”玉龙，为更早的新石器时期（约4000年前到10000年间）的龙形玉器，被称为“中华第一龙”。但这些是否就如《周易正义》所释的王的标识，显然难说。经考古界认定，“中华第一龙”就是一种祭品而非祭品对象，它或许就跟《山海经》中“龙祠”里的祭品一样，《山海经》里还多次提及，除“龙祠”之外的其他“祠”也常用玉。祭品虽然是人神的中介，但祭品决不等于祭祀对象。《山海经》里的“祠”已表述得十分清楚。 ↩︎
12. 查《辭海》的“龍生九子”：「徐應秋」《玉芝堂談薈·龍生九子》引「李東陽」《懷麓堂集》：
    龍生九子不成龍，各有所好：
    囚牛：平生好音樂，今胡琴頭上刻似龍形獸是其遺像；
    睚眦（ya-zi）：平生好殺，今刀柄上龍吞口是其遺像；
    嘲風：平生好險，今殿角走獸是其遺像；
    蒲牢：平生好鳴，今鐘上似龍形獸鈕是其遺像；
    狻猊（suan-ni）：平生好坐，今佛座獅子是其遺像；
    霸下/龜趺/贔屭 (bi-xi）：平生好負重，今碑座獸是其遺像；
    狴犴(bi-an)/憲章：好訴訟，今獄門上獅子頭是其遺像；
    負屭（fu-xi）：平生好文，今碑兩旁文龍是其遺像；
    螭吻 (chi-wen)/鴟尾：平生好吞，今殿脊龍形獸頭是其遺像。 ↩︎
13. 明皇朝「杨慎」《升庵外集》中，亦载有“龙生九子”事，与上述「李东阳」的《怀麓堂集》中所载:「蒲牢、狴犴、睚眦、贔屭、螭吻、狻猊」六者相同外，另有：
    饕餮（tāo-tiè）：性好食，立于鼎画；
    𧈢𧏡 (虫八)(虫夏) (bā-xià)/ 蚣蝮 (gōng-fù)：性好水，立于桥柱；
    椒图：性好阑，立于门首，形似螺蚌。 ↩︎