Did Chinese Dragons Really Exist ?
There is a great sense of mystery surrounding the Chinese dragon. Although no one quite knows the truth , some of the Chinese thinkers claim to have researched and documented it’s existence. The Chinese dragon is characterized by a coiled body and a fiercely bearded mouth. The morphology of the dragon has been described using features of no less than nine different animals.
The dragon is believed to have the head of a camel, ears of an ox, the neck of a snake, legs of a tiger and the stomach of a mollusk. It’s body is covered by scales of carp. It produces the sound that is comparable to drumming copper pots.
The Chinese dragon can fly without the wings, but it’s main source of power lies in a large pearl he hides in the folds of her chin or in it’s throat. This gem has often been compared with happiness, wisdom and source of knowledge.
Unlike its Western cousin, the Chinese dragon does not look like a dragon from his birth. It will go through various stages of metamorphosis extending over 3 000 years. During it’s metamorphosis, the Chinese dragon gets a anguilliform body, which assists in it’s locomotion. But it is covered with scales and develops beard. It also develops four short legs and an elongated tail. The imperial dragon, however, has five toes on each paw. At this stage, the dragon is called a chiao-long or long, which means dumb.
In Chinese mythology, as in others, there is a mythical creature. This is of a black dragon named Gong Gong which looks like a serpent with human head and red hair. Dragons are among the founding myths of Chinese civilization and often the inspiration behind their dynasties. Many thinkers believe that the legendary emperor held their empires with the decisive help of a dragon.
This creature was a symbol used by almost all emperors of Chinese dynasties. This tradition was followed when the dragon spread into neighboring countries. All the emperors of China ruled under the sign of the dragon, and they were even regarded as "Son of the Dragon" which received the "mandate of heaven".
The Chinese dragon is the most representative creature of all in the Chinese civilizations and if ancient scripts and records are to be believed there exist at least types of dragons that stand out. These include the Tian-long or the celestial dragon, the shen-long or wind dragon, Di-long or the land dragon and finally the Fu-Zang long – the guardian of treasures.
In Chinese culture, the number nine has a special significance and even the dragon is associated to the number nine. The dragon is thought of as a sign of immortality. To belief the existence of Chinese dragon is ultimately individual perception, but what can’t be denied is that the Chinese dragon and the historical documents describing it’s way of life have earned a special place in Chinese history.
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