The subject of this little book is of general interest to people who are acquainted with things Chinese. The dragon has played a large part in Chinese thought through four thousand and more years. Even in these days of the Republic it still fills an important place in Chinese life. The dragon is one of the most common ornamental designs in China and one meets it wherever one goes in this country. However, in spite of the significance attached to the dragon, very little has ever been written conc

       Page Introduction        vii Preface        ix Illustrations        xv CHAPTER ONE The Place of the Dragon in Chinese Life        3 CHAPTER TWO How the Dragon Idea Originated        10 CHAPTER THREE The Varieties of Dragons        15 CHAPTER FOUR What Dragons Really Look Like        23 CHAPTER FIVE People Who Have Seen Dragons        31 CHAPTER SIX The Dragon in Western Mythology        38 CHAPTER SEVEN Quaint Beliefs About the Dragon        45 CHAPTER EIGHT How Dragons Control the Fortun

Chinese religion places the dragon in the calendar of its deities as the God of Rain and the Ruler of Rivers, Lakes, and Seas. As such it has been worshiped for centuries. There are probably very few cities of any size in the whole country which, at least until the recent revolution, were without a temple or shrine to the dragon king. This deity was worshiped on the first and fifteenth of every month. In the opinion of the writer dwellers in other lands commonly think of the dragon in much the s

The Dragon Staircase In most Confucian and imperial temples the center of the path that leads from the temple entrance to the sacred shrine is known as the spirit way. Where this route leads up a staircase, one usually finds not steps but a large inclined stone on which are carved one or more dragons. At the hour of worship the spirit of the one who is honored, travels, we are told, over this course. The dragon monolith shown in this photograph leads up to the smallest, the central one, of the t

Dragon Gateway Within the main entrance to Nanking’s Examination Hall, where the Master’s Degree was earned, stood a long “spirit wall.” Upon the front of this structure was painted a dragon gate, beneath which was shown a carp changing into a dragon. A Bachelor of Arts, according to China’s ancient system of education, upon becoming a Master, was congratulated by his friends as having passed through the “Dragon Gate.” The implication was that it was as difficult for a Bachelor of Arts to become

[ 26 ] Surrounded by Dragons This palace portrait was a prized possession of the Manchu emperors. Yung Cheng, the son of Kang Hsi, is here shown upon the throne, which he ascended in 1723. Countless dragons disport themselves upon his costly robes of state and writhe and wreathe themselves in the lattice structure of his imperial throne. [ 25 ] The “Shoh Wen,” a book written during the Tang dynasty, says that the dragon has the following marvelous powers: “It may cause itself to become visible o

Circular Dragon Eaves Tile This tile was found in the débris near the Ming Tomb of Nanking. The body of Chu Yuan Chang, the founder of the Ming dynasty and the only emperor buried in the imperial cemetery east of Nanking, was interred about 1399. This tile is of dark yellow porcelain, eight inches in diameter. It is probably five hundred years old. [ 36 ] Chien Lung Vases These two dainty porcelain vases of the Chien Lung period were “burned” a little over one hundred years ago. The paws of the

Many coast and river cities of England, France, Italy, and Egypt still proudly recount their local legends of cruel dragons which were slain, after battles royal, upon near-by rivers or in adjacent seas. We may read of the Green Dragon of Mordiford, the Dragon of Norwich, the Great Dragon of Pittempton, the Dragon of Naples, the Dragon of Arles, the Dragon of Lyons, the Dragon of Marseilles, Sebec, the Dragon of the Nile, and [ 40 ] many more. These stories are proudly treasured as the sacred tr

At the autumnal equinox, according to one source, the majority of dragons descend into the sea where they hibernate for six months. In fact, the home of dragons is on the floor of the ocean where they dwell in beautiful palaces. At the vernal equinox dragons leave the sea and ascend again into the clouds. Destructive typhoons and equinoctial hurricanes along the coast, in the spring and autumn, are caused by the disturbance of the waters when the great animals thus enter or leave their maritime

Emperor Kang Hsi on the Dragon Throne Kang Hsi was the second emperor of the Manchu dynasty. He ascended the throne at the age of eight and ruled China for over sixty years. This portrait was once preserved in the imperial galleries of the Manchu rulers. [ 56 ] A Dragon Lantern The fifteenth day of the first month of the Chinese year is known as the “Feast of Lanterns.” For centuries Chinese in many parts of the country have observed the evening of the fifteenth with lantern parades. One of the

Water spouts are known as “dangling dragons.” The name was probably given them by junkmen and fishermen who considered these to be the tails of dragons suspended from the clouds. Spirited horses are said to have “dragon dispositions.” Betrothal certificates are known as “dragon-phœnix papers.” Wedding cakes are called “dragon-phœnix cakes.” The published list of Master of Arts graduates was known as the “Dragon-Tiger Register.” A large number of cities, prefectures, rivers, and mountains have th