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About Chinese DragonsAbout Chinese DragonsThe Celestial Chinese Dragon is comparable as the symbol of the Chinese race itself. Chinese around the world, proudly proclaim themselves "Lung Tik Chuan Ren" (Descendents of the Dragon). Dragons are referred to as the divine mythical creature that brings with it ultimate abundance, prosperity and good fortune. As the emblem of the Emperor and the Imperial command, the legend of the Chinese Dragon permeates the ancient Chinese civilization and shaped their culture until today. Its benevolence signifies greatness, goodness and blessings. The Chinese Dragon, or Lung , symbolizes power and excellence, valiancy and boldness, heroism and perseverance, nobility and divinity. A dragon overcomes obstacles until success is his. He is energetic, decisive, optimistic, intelligent and ambitious. Unlike the the negative energies associated with Western Dragons, most Eastern Dragons are beautiful, friendly, and wise. They are the angels of the Orient. Instead of being hated, they are loved and worshipped. Temples and shrines have been built to honor them, for they control the rain, rivers, lakes, and seas. Many Chinese cities have pagodas where people used to burn incense and pray to dragons. The Black Dragon Pool Chapel, near Peking, was reserved for the Empress and her court. Special worship services took place there on the first and fifteenth of every month. Dragon shrines and altars can still be seen in many parts of the Far East. They are usually along seashores and riverbanks, because most Eastern Dragons live in water. The Isle of the Temple, in Japan's Inland Sea, has become a famous stopover for pilgrims who meditate and pray to dragons. Both male and female dragons have mated with humans. Their descendants became great rulers. The Japanese Emperor Hirohito traced his ancestry back 125 generations to Princess Fruitful Jewel, daughter of a Dragon King of the Sea.? Emperors in many Asian countries claimed to have dragon ancestors. This made them so proud, that everything they used was decorated with dragons and described in terms of the dragon: dragon-throne, dragon-robe, dragon-bed, dragon-boat. Calling an emperor "dragon-face" was a supreme compliment. People believed that rulers could change themselves into dragons. For hundreds of years, Japanese emperors sat concealed behind bamboo curtains whenever visitors came. Anyone who dared to peek was condemned to death. Everything connected with Eastern Dragons is blessed. The Year of the Dragon which takes place ever twelve years, is lucky. Present-day Oriental astrologers claim that children born dunng Dragon Years enjoy health, wealth, and long life. Dragons are so wise that they have been royal advisors. A thirteenth-century Cambodian king spent his nights in a golden tower, where he consulted with the real ruler of the land a nine-headed dragon. Eastern Dragons are vain, even though they are wise. They are insulted when a ruler doesn't follow their advice, or when people don't honor their importance. Then, by thrashing about, dragons either stop making rain and cause water shortages, or they breathe black clouds that bring storms and floods. Small dragons do minor mischief, such as making roofs leak, or causing rice to be sticky. People set off firecrackers and carry immense paper dragons in special parades. They also race dragon-shaped boats in water all to please and appease their dragons. The Dragon brings upon the essence of life, in the form of its celestial breath, known to many as sheng chi. He yields life and bestows its power in the form of the seasons, bringing water from rain, warmth from the sunshine, wind from the seas and soil from the earth. The Dragon is the ultimate representation of the forces of Mother Nature. The greatest divine force on Earth. The Chinese Dragon is often seen as the symbol of divine protection and vigilance. It is regarded as the Supreme Being amongst all creatures. It has the ability to live in the seas, fly up the heavens and coiled up in the land in the form of mountains. Being the divine mythical animal, the Dragon can ward off wandering evil spirits, protect the innocent and bestow safety to all that hold his emblem. The Chinese Dragon is look upon as the ultimate symbol of Good Fortune. http://web.archive.org/web/200305...e.com/info/index.asp?id=chinesedg |
| Anydragon |
About Chinese Dragons
Dragon and ancient serpent...supernatural animals in the legend of peoples around the world. Some say they are the sign of goodness. Some say they are the sign of badness. But most of nations mention dragons as a most powerfull being in the world... Ancient westerner call dragon as "Nake", which sound similar to "snake". While Nake come from the word "Nagha", or Nagh, which is a great serpent, a kind of eastern dragon who lives in water. This can suggest that snake, dragon, and nakha have the same origin. Easterner say dragon is the sign of water element, leader of rain and sea, guardian of heaven and the earth. Chinese and japanese legends call dragon as one of the Great Guardian Spilit (Shishin) -- which have the green dragon in the east, the white tiger (or kilin) in the west, the red swan (or phinix) in the south, and the turtle & snake in the north -- which difference from many westerner legends that dragons is a sign of passion and badness (In my opinion, dragon is a sign of justice which will protect goodness and destroy badness with the power of human passion. There are a lot of legends, both east and west, told about cities which were destroyed by nakhas because old law of society had been forgoten and people were possessed by avarice.) There is a legend said dragons will have horn only when older than 500 years and if they are 1000 years old, they will have wings. In the book "Chais on Oriental China" said about the dragon claw that: not all dragons have the same number of claws. The great dragons have 5 claws, more than other normal, which have only 3 or 4 claws. Most of eastern dragons live in deep ocean or earth bowel castle. There are 5 leaders - the head is in the middle like the king of dragonkind, other 4 leaders are in each quarters, northern, southern, eastern, and western. All have 5 claws in each feet and cannot die. (Somewhere say that they will die only when 4 suns rise at the same time in this continent) These five dragons also have special ability to know thinking of each other without any talking. Dragon shapes can be separate into many kinds, such as snake-like, crocodile-like. Sometime they have wings, sometime not. http://web.archive.org/web/200305...pire.com/info/index.asp?id=legend |