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Chinese Dragon Sculpture Biography

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As is an imaginable paws of the tiger, the beard of the goat, the scales of the carp and the belly of the snake. According to legends, the Chinese dragon is able to breathe fire, summon wind and call for rain, fly into the clouds and hide at the bottom of the sea; it's also capable of becoming as large as the sky or disguising itself by being as tiny as a pinhead.

Unlike castle-burning dragons of Western stories, Chinese Dragons are a benevolent symbol in Chinese culture. From celebrations to the Zodiac, to historical rulers, the dragon has played a large part in China’s rich history.

It was said that Yangdi (a legendary tribe leader) was born by his mother's telepathy with a mighty dragon, who, with the help of the dragon, allied with Huangdi (a legendary tribe leader) against Chi You (a legendary barbarian tribe leader) and defeated him in the battle of Zhuolu (presently Yuncheng of Shanxi Province), opening the prelude to Chinese civilization; so Yandi and Huangdi were considered as ancestors of the Chinese people. As time has gone by, the Chinese people refer to themselves as the descendants of Yangdi and Huangdi, as well as the descendants of the dragon.

In Chinese lore, the dragon was a benevolent creature with powers to bring rain, floods, and even hurricanes to a land. Along with this ability, the dragon signified power, strength, and good luck. Starting in the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), Emperors took on the symbolism of the Dragon as they hoped to bring good fortune to their lands.

The number 9 is considered lucky in Chinese culture, and this fact is reflected in the depiction of the Chinese Dragon. Nine different animal resemblances make up the appearance of the Chinese dragon.

The scales of a Chinese dragon further display the significance of lucky number 9. It is said that dragons possess scales of both the yin and yang essence, with 81 and 36 scales respectively, both numbers being multiples of 9.

Origin of the Dragon

A number of legends concerning the origin of the dragon emerged in the course of Chinese history, of which the Totem-Worship Theory is more popular than the others. A totem is an object (such as an animal or a plant) that serves as an emblem or protector of a tribe, reminding them of their ancestry, and the tribe firmly believes that they are related by blood to a certain animal. Almost every tribe had its own unique totem in ancient times. It was said that Huangdi fought with Yandi for the throne after the demise of Chi You, which ended up with the victory of Huangdi who adopted an imaginary dragon for his coat of arms. Later, Huangdi launched a series of wars against the nine tribes on the Yellow River Valley, and incorporated the other tribes' totems into his own after defeating them (thus explaining why the dragon has attributes of nine other creatures), claiming himself to be monarch of the central plains of China after his great unification. The dragon totem has been popular throughout China ever since.

Children of the Dragon

According to Chinese myths, the dragon has nine children (not including mortals, such as the legendary Yandi): Bixi, Qiuniu, Yazi, Chaofeng, Pulao, Chiwen, Bi'an, Suanni and Pixiu. More interestingly, the nine dragon children have different characters from one another, and their images (to be more specific, imaginary images) are widely used in architectural decoration, especially in the imperial palaces.

Bixi, the eldest of the nine dragon children, has the shape of a turtle with sharp teeth, and is fond of carrying heavy objects; it's often depicted on the sides of grave monuments.

Qiuniu, a yellow scaly dragon, has a liking for music and excels in playing it; it's often used to adorn musical instruments.

Yazi, with a snake belly and a leopard head, is keen on fighting and killing; it's often used as the decoration of sword grips.

Chaofeng has an instinctive taste for adventure; it's often used to adorn the roof ridges of palaces.

Pulao is known for its loud crying; it's often used as handles on the top of bells.

Chiwen, living in the sea, has a harsh voice and takes delight in devouring the other creatures; it's often erected on the ends of ridgepoles of palaces.

Bi'an has a fancy for lawsuits, so it's often erected at jail gates.

Suanni has a shape of a lion and takes delight in sitting cross-legged and smelling the odor of incense; it's often depicted on the incense burners and seats of Buddhist temples.

Pixiu is fierce and majestic with a horse's body, and it's in charge of exorcising the demons to keep Heaven safe; it's often used to guard gates.

Development of Conceptions of the Chinese Dragon

In the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1046 BC), the dragon existed as a supernatural power in the mind of ancient people, and it was worshipped as a two-pawed prodigy owing to its ferociousness and mysteriousness.

In the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-221 BC), the image of the dragon was greatly weakened owing to the emergence of the image of the phoenix, and the phoenix coronet was even grafted on the head of the dragon in some patterns, making the dragon more feminine (Yin) and artistic.

In the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC), the image of the dragon became more vivid, featuring a combination of Yin and Yang, which was widely painted as an emblem of good augury with four paws, and it looked more powerful and masculine (Yang).

In the Qin (221 BC-207 BC) and Han (206 BC-220) dynasties, the image of the dragon was basically finalized in its essentials, featuring long horns, pointy ears, sharp paws and a snakelike belly. Qin Shi Huang (259 BC-210 BC) claimed himself to be the son of the dragon during his reign, as the dragon had become the monarchial power incarnate.

In the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, the dragon was depicted as a prodigy with the belly of a carp, so the scholars who succeeded in the civil service examination were often compared to the carps that jumped over the dragon gate.

In the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, the image of the dragon became more artistically perfect, playing an important role in traditional Chinese paintings, which were of a high aesthetic value.

In the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the image of the dragon became a tool and a symbol of imperial power, which was exclusively for emperors. The dragon was painted with five paws in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Culture on Chinese Dragon

The Chinese dragon has transformed from an imaginary prodigy to a mascot from ancient times to the present, representing the Chinese people's unrelenting and pioneering spirit of keeping pace with the times, whose image has been deeply rooted in the mind of the Chinese people and has a substantial influence on various aspects of Chinese culture. Not only is the dragon prevailing in China, but it's also very popular among the Chinese people living overseas; it has become the symbol of China and of Chinese culture.

The dragon culture is great, because it earns respect from its descendants (the Chinese people); the dragon culture is encouraging, because it symbolizes the unrelenting spirit of the Chinese people; the dragon culture is profound, because it represents Yang according to the Five Element Theory; the dragon culture is exclusive, because of its imperial culture in essence in the history of China; the dragon culture is also open, because it makes great contributions to world civilization.

Dragon and Ancient Celestial Guardians

As one of the four celestial guardians, along with the vermilion bird, the white tiger and the black tortoise, the dragon represents the east and the element of wood according to ancient Chinese astrology and the Five Element Theory; the vermilion bird associates with the south and the element of fire; the white tiger symbolizes the west and the element of gold; the black tortoise signifies the north and the element of water.