Chinese dragons: Symbols of power and fortune

By Felipe / Last updated October 15, 2024

Dragons are fascinating creatures in many cultures, but they are viewed very differently around the world. If you grew up in a Western country, you might think of dragons as fierce, fire-breathing monsters that need to be slain. But in Chinese culture, dragons are revered and respected. They're seen as powerful, wise, and often bringers of good fortune.

Let's break down the key differences between European and Chinese dragons and explore the different types of Chinese dragons and what they represent.

European vs. Chinese dragons

There are many types of dragons in the world and it's still up for debate why so many cultures have myths about these creatures. But let's keep it simple by focusing on how European and Chinese dragons differ in their appearance, behavior, and symbolism.

European dragons

European dragons are usually seen as evil and fierce creatures. They are often shown with big wings, breathing fire, and guarding treasure.

Starting from ancient myths like Beowulf to modern fantasy stories like The Hobbit, Harry Potter, Eragon, and Game of Thrones, dragons have been part of Western folklore for centuries.

The overall consensus seems to be that having a dragon as a friend would be amazing because you can fly around on it and nobody would mess with you. However, you don't want to be on the wrong side of a dragon because they can quickly turn whole towns into ashes.

Chinese dragons

In contrast to European dragons, Chinese dragons (龙/龍, lóng) are mostly benign creatures. Most of them don't have wings, but they can fly. They're long and snake-like, often shown with four legs and sharp claws.

Instead of living in caves and hoarding gold, Chinese dragons often live in bodies of water, like clouds, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Instead of being feared, they symbolize power, strength, and good luck, and are responsible for making it rain.

Why are Chinese dragons important?

Chinese dragons are everywhere in Chinese culture, from festivals like Dragon Boat Festival to art to the Chinese zodiac. Dragons represent power, control over natural elements, and protection. Chinese people even believe they have dragon heritage, as they consider themselves descendants of dragons (occasionally satirized).

During the Chinese New Year, dragon dances are performed to chase away evil spirits and bring good luck for the new year. As unbelievable as it might seem to Westerners, some Chinese people even prefer having their babies born in the Year of the Dragon because it's considered the luckiest zodiac sign.

Additionally, dragons are associated with emperors. Only the emperor was allowed to use a five-toed dragon on his robes, while other princes and officials had to settle for four-toed dragons. Commoners were not allowed to have any dragon symbols at all.

Types of Chinese dragons

There are hundreds of different types of Chinese dragons, each with their own role and meaning in Chinese culture. To make things even more complicated, there is no single canonical list of dragons. Depending on the context, like Taoism or astronomy, different dragons are mentioned. Let's look at some of the best known ones.

The Azure Dragon

The Azure Dragon of the East (青龙/青龍, Qīnglóng) is one of the four symbols of Chinese astronomy, together with the White Tiger of the West, the Vermillion Bird of the South, and the Black Tortoise of the North.

Each of the four symbols is associated with a season, a cardinal direction, and one of the five elements (fire, water, wood, metal, and earth). Besides the direction East, the Azure Dragon represents the spring season and the element of wood. It is furthermore displayed on the first Chinese flag.

Do you see how the dragon has five toes? That's because it's an imperial dragon, symbolizing the emperor.

The Yellow Dragon

The Yellow Dragon (黄龙/黃龍, Huánglóng) sits in the center between the four symbols and represents the element of earth. It is the incarnation of the Yellow Emperor Huángdì (黄帝/黃帝), the legendary founder of the Han people and Chinese culture. He is the reason why Chinese people consider themselves "descendants of the dragon".

More dragon kings

Other sources use the same system as the four symbols, but with dragons. Around a thousand years ago, Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty (宋徽宗) named five Taoist dragon kings which directly map to the aforementioned symbols, plus the Yellow Dragon. The other four are called the Four Dragon Kings of the Four Seas (四海龙王/四海龍王, Sìhǎi Lóngwáng), each protecting a body of water:

• Azure Dragon (mentioned above) of the East China Sea,

• Vermillion Dragon (赤龙/赤龍, Chìlóng) of the South China Sea,

• White Dragon (白龙/白龍, Báilóng) of Qinghai Lake in the west,

• Black Dragon (黑龙/黑龍, Hēilóng) of Baikal Lake in the north.

If those are not enough dragons for you, there are also winged dragons, coiled dragons, dragon horses, and many more. I bet they would make for quite the spectacle if they were to gather somewhere.

Final Thoughts

It's fascinating how different cultures have come up with different dragon myths. In Western stories, dragons are often the villains, dangerous creatures that represent chaos, greed, and destruction. But in Chinese culture, dragons are powerful, benevolent beings that symbolize strength, good fortune, and protection.

So next time you see an image of a Chinese dragon, count the toes, it might be an imperial dragon 😉

Featured image by R M on Unsplash.