Why Are Dragons Important in Chinese Culture?
In Chinese culture, the dragon is an important creature. It made an appearance in the earliest Chinese religion. It is called "Loong" and is considered to be powerful but gentle. According to legend, the dragon first came to the Chinese people in the sky when an heir to the throne was born. The Chinese were thus blessed with peace from then on.
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Majestic
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Chinese folklore tells tales of dragons riding on clouds to travel to far away places such as the sun and the moon. The dragon can go into the most inaccessible mountains and dive to the far, far depths of the ocean.
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Good Luck
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It is said that when a dragon appears to someone, it is a symbol of good luck and prosperity. However, the dragon only shows itself to humans fleetingly before vanishing, leaving the humans to wonder if they had seen it at all.
Prosperity
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Chinese legend says that the dragon spends the autumn hibernating in the ocean and when spring arrives, it rises up into the sky, bringing much-needed rains to the Earth.
Sacred Creature
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The Chinese believe that the dragon is sacred. It is considered a loving creature that brings blessings and happiness to the Earth.
Guardian
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The dragon was the imperial emblem for Chinese emperors. It is considered to be the guardian and ruler of lakes, seas and rivers.
Divine
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The dragon is the first of the four Divine Creatures to the Chinese. The other three are the unicorn, the phoenix and the tortoise.
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References
- Photo Credit "Dragon Attack!" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Esparta (Esparta Palma) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
