The Chinese Dragon Tradition
Lung Tik Chuan Ren
Chinese Dragons - "Lung" - are an important part of Chinese cultural traditions as across much of Asia. According
to legend, Emperor Huang Di was immortalised as a dragon and the dragon has been the symbol of Chinese royalty since then. The Chinese people sometimes refer to themselves as "descendants of the dragons" ("Lung Tik Chuan Ren").
The Chinese dragon represents "yang", the masuline, solar force. It is a symbol of good fortune that can bring all manner of blessings and luck. Unlike the traditional Western dragon, the Chinese dragon is usually wise and revered.
As with most oriental dragons, Chinese dragons resemble a water snake. There are some suggestions that the alligator also had a role in inspiring their likeness.
They do not usually have wings but fly to and from heaven in a cloud. They are often depicted playing with a flaming pearl which is reported to give the dragon its powers. This pearl of wisdom was guarded fiercely.
The life cycle of a Chinese dragon is long and tedious, involving many hundreds or thousands of years in different states. Some sources say that at a certain point in its life-cycle the dragon obtains real wings - however it will have to live thousands of years before this happens.
Chinese dragons are usually described as having five toes. However some sources say that only the Imperial Dragon had five toes, other Chinese dragons had only four.
Nine is a lucky number in Chinese culture and Chinese dragons had many features based on the number nine. For example, the Chinese dragon is said to be made from nine entities.
The most powerful of the Chinese dragons were the four dragon kings.
The dagon motif occurs frequently in Chinese art, from decorative clothing through dragon screens to architectural designs. Dragons are also celebrated in festivals such as the dragon boat festival.