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Dragon occupies a very important position in Chinese mythology.
It shows up in arts, literature, poetry, architecture, songs, and many aspects of the Chinese conscience.
The origin of Chinese dragons is unknown, but certainly pre-dates the written history. This mythological
symbol dates back to 3000 BC and stands for happiness, immortality,
procreation, fertility and activity.
Dragons were believed to ward off evil spirits. Take a look at a Chinese
city and you see dragons decorating ancient monuments and buildings,
sometimes playing with a pearl or thunder-ball. One can also see dragons on
the garments of ancient Chinese generals. The Emperor alone had nine of them
on his brocade.
From the Han dynasty and on (206 BC ?220 AD) dragons took a symbolic meaning
based on their colors. Chinese dragons were often red or gold, turquoise or
white. The turquoise dragon was the symbol of the Emperor, the East, the
rising sun, the rain as well as the fifth element of the Chinese zodiac. The
white dragon on the other hand stood for the West and death.
According to Chinese mythology, dragons lived under the surface of the Earth
and only visited the world in the second month of the Chinese calendar to
cause rain and thunder. They looked like snakes and had no wings. Each one
of its four short legs had five toes, unlike the Korean one, which had four
and the Japanese one, which had three. The five-toed dragons symbolized
power and in China these dragons were called Long.
There exist four major categories of Lung. A) Tien-Lung, the Celestial
Dragon which protects the House of Gods, B) Shen-Lung, the Spiritual Dragon
in control of the wind and the air, C) Ti-Lung, the Earth Dragon in control
of the rivers and all the water on Earth and D) Fut-Lung, The Underworld
Dragon which guards the precious metals and gems.
So Chinese dragons, unlike European legends, stand for good deeds and can
often be seen parading in Chinese festivals. The Chinese New Year Day or
the Chinese Spring Festival as it is better known, for example, takes place
in January or February, depending on the lunar calendar, and the Chinese
dragon is seen parading in the streets. It the biggest celebration of the
year. It is a chance for families to gather from all parts of China. Chinese
wear their new clothes and pay a visit to friends and family wishing
everybody Great New Year, Happiness and Fortune. And then springtime
comes.
The Day of the Lanterns is another celebration where dragons are seen
parading. It takes place the 15th day of the first lunar month. Hundreds of
lanterns are put on display and Chinese eat rice and pasta, which symbolize
happiness in life. Finally, there is also the celebration of autumn when
Chinese make a sacrifice to the Moon, which is most beautiful this time of
they year. It takes place the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Chinese
dragons mean no harm and are often compared to the country itself.
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