| Chinese dragons are based on mythology that | | | | water, it is a likely theory.The imperial |
| goes back thousands of years. In European | | | | dragon, called lung, is part of four animals |
| mythology the dragon has a negative | | | | considered to have spiritual power: the |
| connotation, but in the Chinese culture | | | | phoenix, unicorn, and tortoise. The dragon is |
| dragons are benevolent creatures that possess | | | | the foremost of the four animals, and is |
| power, wisdom, and the ability to bring good | | | | considered to have wisdom and power. It |
| luck. The imperial dragon, the lung, is one | | | | represented the emperors of China, who |
| of the most common types. Dragons represented | | | | themselves were called dragons. Lung is |
| emperors in the imperial age, and were | | | | believed to have evolved from the Indian |
| believed to have divine powers. Dragons are | | | | dragonlike nagas, which were snakes with |
| associated with water, perhaps reflecting the | | | | human faces that lived in subterranean |
| way that the ancient Chinese viewed | | | | water.Chinese dragon artIn Chinese art, the |
| alligators during a flood. In Chinese art | | | | dragon is depicted in various vivid colors. |
| dragons are beautifully depicted in vivid | | | | However, the chiao type has a green stripe on |
| colors. One of the most ancient forms of | | | | its back, yellow sides, and a red belly. The |
| dragon art in China is jade sculpturing, some | | | | lung type is either green or gold, with short |
| of which date back 5,000 years, including a | | | | and long spines on its back and tail.Lung |
| statute that is 26 cm long. Chinese dragon | | | | dragons have nine main characteristics: a |
| are still depicted in art, and the dragon is | | | | camel-like head, deer-like horns, hare-like |
| continues to be revered as a creature that | | | | eyes, bull-like ears, iguana-like neck, |
| brings prosperity and abundance, and the | | | | frog-like belly, carp-like scales, tiger-like |
| ultimate symbol of good luck.The Chinese | | | | paws, and eagle-like claws. It also has large |
| today believe that the dragon is an extinct | | | | canine-like teeth on the upper part of its |
| animal. Some experts believe that the dragon | | | | jaw, and long whiskers (probably believed to |
| mythology stems from how the ancient Chinese | | | | be used for moving at the bottom of muddy |
| viewed the alligators during a flood season. | | | | water). |
| Considering that dragons are associated with | | | | |