Famous Dragons

Chinese tradition has noted several different types of dragons.  The first kind of dragon for consideration is Yinglong the Winged Dragon.  This creature is a powerful servant of Huang Di, the yellow emperor.  The emperor was later immortalized as a dragon.  According to the legend, Yinglong assisted a man by the name of Yu to stop the Yellow river from flooding.  This was done by digging long channels with his tail.  It is interesting that Yinglong is the oldest of all eastern dragons known throughout Asia.  You see, once dragons reach an appropriate age they grow wings.  This is according to the myth about them.  It is a belief in China (as well as other places) that dragons are often good natured and will help people.  This is in stark contrast to the Western tradition which sees dragons as "monsters."

Another type of dragon is Dragon King.  This creature consists of four different dragons.  Each dragon rules over one of the four seas:  the east, the south, the west, and the north.  Dragon Kings usually appear in their true forms.  This means they show themselves to be "dragons."  However, they also have the ability to "shape shift" into the form of human beings!  Some of the emperors of China even claimed to have a dragon as an ancestor due to this amazing power of theirs to become human.  However, the Dragon Kings livd in crystal palaces and were guarded very bravely by shrimp soldiers and crab generals.  When you are looking at Chinese dragon collectibles, these examples may be useful to keep in mind.  Knowing even more information about Chinese Dragons can make your shopping experience that much more fun and exciting!

Harlan Urwiler                                

                                          

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