A T'ang (tong) dynasty emperor visited the Chinese city of Loyang (low-yang) during a long spell of very hot, dry weather

Chinese Dragons

In China, the dragon has long been considered a sacred but benevolent animal. Originally regarded as the bringer of rain, the dragon later came to be connected with the emperor and rulers often claim either direct descent from dragons, or at least their support. Liu Bang, for example, the low-ranking official who founded the Han dynasty, claimed to be the son of a human mother and a dragon father, and when the Tang emperor Ming Huang had to flee from the capital, a dragon is said to have carried his boat to safety.

But while the emperor claimed a special relationship with the mythical beasts, dragons have been no less popular with the Chinese people who saw them as magical creatures who could collect clouds and bring rain to their crops during periods of drought.

The Origins of Chinese Dragons

The first appearance of the dragon in Chinese mythology concerns a story of the creation of the universe. An illustrated inscription carved on a stone wall during the Eastern Han dynasty (24 - 220 AD) tells of Pangu who was believed to have had the body of a serpent and the head of a dragon. As he created the universe using a chisel and mallet, he was accompanied by a dragon, a phoenix, a unicorn and a tortoise. Millions of years later, when the first “human beings” appeared on earth, the female, Nuwa, had a human head and a serpent’s body, and the male, Fuxi, a human head and a dragon’s body. Their human offspring were dispersed across China, with each group using an animal as its totem. When Emperor Huang, the ancestor of the Hua Xia clan, united the clans and established an empire, he chose the dragon to symbolize the newly united Chinese nation.

By the 6^th century BC, rain rituals were being performed which involved a dragon image animated by a procession of dancers. Similar dragon dances are still performed in Chinese communities today to bring luck and prosperity.

According to Chinese cosmology, there are four types of dragon: the Celestial Dragon who stands guard over the heavenly residence of the gods; the Dragon of Hidden Treasure; the Earth Dragon who controls the rivers and seas; and the Spiritual Dragon who has power over the wind and rain. For most people, the last two were the most important, and these were transformed into the Dragon Kings who delivered rain and protected fishermen.

The Modern and Ancient Use of Dragons

Images of dragons appear frequently in Chinese art and architecture. The Forbidden City, for example, contains the Nine-Dragon Wall, a large tiled screen decorated with images of nine dragons tumbling through clouds and water while chasing a pearl. But while the use of the five-clawed dragon was reserved solely for the imperial family, scholar-officials were free to use other dragons in their own art and on their own objects. Dragons are often found on ceramic bowls, jade carving or even engraved on lacquer ink pots, particularly during the later dynasties when artistic production and the notion of the scholar-official was at its highest. Just as the emperor used the image of the dragon to legitimize his rule, officials made use of the image as a decoration which brought with it ideas of power, benevolence and prosperity. For most Chinese however, the dragon existed as an idea, as a mythical being who could bring rain and provide help in times of need. Their contact with dragons was perhaps more direct and entailed elaborate rituals filled with dancing and chanting. They also told each stories about dragons strengthening the belief in their power to bring help.

A Chinese Dragon Story

During the Tang dynasty, China was struck by a long spell of hot, dry weather. In order to help his country’s farmers, the Tang emperor visited the Chinese city of Loyang where he sent a messenger to meet an Indian priest named Wu Wei. The priest, it was believed, knew how to summon the dragon who brings rain. Initially however, Wu Wei refused to summon the dragon, telling the messenger that the drought was natural and that rain at this time could cause a great deal of damage. The messenger pointed out that the people were already suffering because of the drought. Any rain, he told the priest, even as part of a violent thunderstorm, would help. Eventually, Wu Wei agreed.

The priest ordered that the temple be emptied of all its contents with the exception of one bowl of water. He stirred the water and repeated magic words hundreds of times until a red dragon, about the size of a finger, lifted its head above the surface. The dragon disappeared and Wu Wei stirred the water again, chanting a spell three times. A white vapor rose from the bowl and floated toward the temple door.

Wu Wei ordered the messenger to leave. As he fled to alert the emperor, the messenger glanced back to see the vapor roll like white silk from the temple. The sky went dark, thunder rang out and rain poured from the heavens. (From the Tang Dynasty book Ci Liushi Jiu Wen (Old records of the younger Liu).