Legend Of Chinese Dragon And The Appearances
Dragon is the most famous mythological creature in the world. The whole world has its own legend, but the legend of Chinese dragon is the most interesting. In Europe, the dragon is always symbolized as an evil being. However, for the Chinese people, the dragon symbolizes a power. For the Chinese, the dragon is one of the four spiritual beings who have the highest respect. The other three creatures are Phoenix, Qilin (Kirin), and Turtles.
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Chinese Dragon Characteristics
In Chinese mythology, dragons have a close relationship with the number 9. The Chinese Dragon actually has 9 characteristics that are the combination of other creatures.
- It has a head like a camel
- It scales like fish
- The horn is like a deer
- Its eyes are like stealth
- Its ears are like oxen
- Its neck is like a snake
- Its stomach is like an oyster
- Its feet are like a tiger
- Its paw is like an eagle
In general, the Chinese dragon has three or four claws on each leg. However, the Chinese empire uses the dragon's emblem with five claws to show that the Emperor is not an ordinary dragon. This symbol became an exclusive symbol that only the emperor could use. Anyone who dares to use the dragon symbol with 5 claws will soon be put to death.
Types of the Chinese Dragon
In Chinese literature, there are at least more than 100 different names of dragons. However, for simplicity, the Chinese Dragon is usually only classified into four types.
- Tien Lung or Sky Dragon which is in charge of guarding the palace of the gods
- Shen Lung or Spiritual Dragon which is in charge of wind and rain
- Ti Lung or Earth Dragon which rule over the water on the surface of the earth
- Fucang Lung or Underworld Earth Dragon which is in charge of guarding the treasure that is in it
Dragon Appearance in Chinese History
The history of China has begun thousands of years ago. During that time, scholars documented every event including the appearance of dragons in various parts of China. One example of dragon sighting was recorded in the book Recording for the Jiaxing Regional Government which told that in September 1588, a white dragon was seen flying over the surface of Ping lake in Pinghu county, Zhejiang province. The light coming out of the white dragon was so bright that it illuminated some of the skies with a bright red color.
In another book, it was mentioned in 20 years after the appearance of a white dragon in Ping Lake, a similar white dragon was also seen flying over the Huangpu River in Songjiang, Shanghai. The dragon was seen in July 1608. Moreover, there are other testimonies which did not mention the existence of a god or a flying dragon, but like the cryptid creatures in general. The following are some examples that dragon like cryptid creatures. In the 24th year of the reign of Emperor Jian'an of Dong Han Dynasty (219 AD), a yellow dragon appeared on the Chishui River in Wuyang town and stayed there for nine days before leaving. After that, the villagers built a temple there and an inscription in honor of the dragon.
In April 345 AD, the first year of the reign of Yonghe Emperor, two dragons white and black appeared on Long Mountain. In 1162, a dead dragon was found in Taibai Lake. This dragon had a long tent with large scales and its back was black while the stomach was white. Because the creature had an unpleasant smell, the residents then covered it with a mat. One day after the discovery, the dragon carcass lost somewhere.
Another book, Amanded Recording of the Tang Dynasty recorded the discovery of a dead black dragon in Tongcheng territory. Interestingly, this book provided the detailed description of the dragon. It was mentioned that the length was about 30 meters where half was the tail. The book of Seven Books and Scriptures of Long Ying also recorded the dragon discovery in the last year of the reign of Chenghua emperor of the Ming dynasty. The dragon was found on the coast of Xinhui, Guangdong province. The dragon's length was approximately 10 meters and looks similar to the dragon in classical paintings.
The most modern appearance of the dragon was that of August 1944. A black dragon reportedly fell to the ground in Weizi village in the yard of the Chen family, about 9.4 miles northwest of Zhaoyuan region, south of the Mudan River in Heilongjiang province. The eyewitness said that this creature had horns on its head and scales that cover its entire body. The creature had a fish-like smell that attracted flies to swarm over it. From all the appearances, there is a question that still becomes a mystery. What kind of animal that has a body like a snake, horned, legged and has a tentacle at the side of its mouth?