The dragon is an animal that is regarded as sacred and magical by the Chinese.
The dragon can blow clouds and mist, and control the world; the dragon can call the wind and rain, and bring blessings to the people. The Chinese people are proud of the descendants of the dragon. They have always had high admiration for the dragon for thousands of generations. But have you ever seen a real, live dragon?
According to the book "Shuowen Jiezi": "Dragon, the long scale insect, can be dark or bright, thin or giant, short or long. It ascends to the sky at the spring equinox, and dives into the abyss at the autumnal equinox. "After reading this passage, you will feel the mystery of dragons even more.
Archaeological experts believe that the early dragon was a snake with horns on its head, a pure reptile; while some people believe that where the dragon was first formed, the dragon's head looked like a pig and its body It is the same as the body of a snake; some people point out that the dragon is transformed from a crocodile; the famous scholar Mr. Wen Yiduo has unique insights into the dragon. Mr. Wen believes that the dragon is formed by the synthesis of snakes and other animals. Based on the body of a snake, it incorporates the mane of a horse, the tail of an ox, the antlers of a deer, the claws of a dog, the scales and whiskers of a fish...
Since entering modern society, many experts and scholars have paid great attention to the dragon. The origins were explored in depth. Analysis from many unearthed cultural relics with dragon graphics shows that the formation of dragons has gone through a long history. Among them, the clam dragon unearthed in Puyang, Henan has a history of 6,000 years. On the one hand, it embodies the lineage of Yangshao culture, and on the other hand, it proves the initial formation of dragons.
Regarding the origin of dragons, after long-term research and verification, people have finally achieved a more consistent understanding: dragons are a synthesis of various animals and a kind of primitive society. Totem worship symbol.
The dragon is great because it has the respect of all descendants of Yan and Huang; the dragon is nihilistic because it is only a spirit, not a substance.
The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas: Ao Guang, Ao Qin, Ao Shun, Ao Run in the East Sea, Ao Guang in the East Sea, Ao Qin in the South Sea, Ao Run in the West Sea, and Ao Shun in the North Sea
The green face and red beard are in the east, and the white ones are in the east. Those with hair and beards are from the west, those with orange hair and beards are from the south, and those with black hair and beards are from the north
Dragons in Chinese Life
Dragons are not unique to China. Many ethnic groups have stories about dragons. myths and legends. But China is the only country where dragons are proud and respected, and all kinds of things are somewhat related to dragons. In China, there are thousands of places with dragon names, some of which are named after numbers, such as Erlong in Jilin Province, Sanlong in Jiangxi Province, and Silong in Liaoning Province; some are named after the dragon's body. Such as the dragon head in Jiangxi Province, the dragon horn in Sichuan Province, the dragon forehead in Guizhou Province, and the dragon claw in Heilongjiang Province; some are themed after dragon groups, which can be composed of dragon king, dragon mother, big dragon, small dragon, golden dragon, wooden dragon, water dragon, etc. Earth Dragon and so on. There are more than 40 Chinese rivers with the word "dragon" in them. The yellow, green, red, white and black dragons we are familiar with are found in Sichuan Province (Huanglong River) and Hebei Province (Qinglong River and Chilong River) respectively. There are rivers named after them in Tianjin (Qinglongwan River and Heilonggang River), Gansu Province (Bailongjiang River), Shanghai (Bailonggang River) and Heilongjiang Province (Heilongjiang River). Almost every province has Longjiang, Longhu, Longshan, Longdong, Longquan, Longtan, and countless Dragon King temples.
Dragons are also found in daily life. The clothes include dragon robes and dragon crowns; the food includes lobster, longan, and dragon beard noodles; the buildings include dragon palaces and dragon pavilions; and there are dragon boats and dragon chariots in the streets. The furniture has dragon chairs and dragon beds. There is a dragon lantern dance on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and a dragon boat race on the Dragon Boat Festival in May. Animals include dragon horses and dragon fleas; plants include nightshade, agave, asparagus, asparagus, dragon cypress, and Sophora japonica. The geomantic treasure is called Dragon Cave, the waterwheel that pumps water is called keel waterwheel, and the big crane is called gantry crane. There are dragon stars in the sky and dragon veins underground. There are no less than hundreds of nouns related to dragons in ancient books. There are eighty-one dragon mythological novels collected in "Taiping Guangji" edited a thousand years ago. In China, dragons are almost everywhere. Dragon culture has a long history.
The image and totem of the dragon
The dragon is the totem of primitive people. It is an illusory creature that only exists in totems and does not exist in the biological world. The image of the dragon known today combines the characteristics of various creatures: snake body, animal legs, eagle claws, horse head, snake tail, antlers, and fish scales. Some studies have pointed out that the image of the dragon has undergone constant development and change. In the long historical process, through wars and alliances, the people who believe in the dragon totem have gradually become leaders, and the dragon totem has gradually become the banner believed by the entire Chinese nation. The images of totems originally believed by other ethnic groups were gradually absorbed and enriched into the image of the dragon. Therefore, the dragon has more and more characteristics, and its image becomes increasingly complex and mighty.
People also focus on dragons with various virtues and excellent qualities. We have seen from many stories and legends: the dragon is brave and good at fighting, it is not afraid of any violence; the dragon is smart and wise, it can even foresee the future; the dragon has great abilities, it can be big or small, changeable, interesting Clouds make rain, thunder and lightning, open rivers and move mountains, and their power is boundless; the dragon is wealthy, and the Dragon Palace has become a concentration of treasures; the dragon is upright and can think about the people. In order to relieve the suffering of drought in the world, it will even do anything. Offend the rules of heaven. People's good wishes are concentrated on dragons, and outstanding figures in the world are often called dragons among people. Zhuge Liang's so-called Mr. Wolong is a familiar example.
The Dragon Emperor and the Heavenly Emperor
The Dragon Emperor, also known as the Heavenly Emperor, is also called the Jade Emperor. Legend has it that he is the incarnation of the Yellow Emperor, the ancestor of the Chinese nation. In "Historical Records." It is recorded in the Book of Fengchan that the Yellow Emperor and the people mined copper mines in Shoushan Mountain, cast the mined copper into a large copper tripod, and placed it at the foot of Jingshan Mountain. When the bronze tripod was cast, a dragon hung down from its beard to welcome the Yellow Emperor as he ascended to heaven. Huangdi rode on the dragon's back, and his ministers, wives and children all climbed up one after another, and more than seventy people climbed up at once. At this time, the dragon ascended to the sky, and the remaining ministers couldn't squeeze in, and all of them were holding on to the dragon's beard. The dragon's beard couldn't bear the weight and broke. The bow Huang Di was carrying was also pulled down. The officials could only hold the dragon's beard and bow and cry. After the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven, he became the Emperor of Heaven.
In "Historical Records." "Book of Heavenly Officials" also says: "Xuanyuan (the Yellow Emperor's name is Xuanyuan), the body of the Yellow Dragon." To put it simply, it means that the Yellow Emperor is the incarnation of the Yellow Dragon. Huanglong is the Dragon Emperor. The five elements belong to earth and are located in the center. He is the head of the dragon clan and the ruler of heaven in Taoist religious views. It is also mentioned in the classics of the Han Dynasty: "The yellow dragon is the length of the four directions, the correct color of the four directions, and the essence of the gods. It can be huge, thin, quiet, bright, short, or long. It can exist and die. "The king fishes without filtering the pond, and when he reaches the abyss, he swims in the marsh with harmony." This illustrates the image of the Yellow Dragon.
The legendary dragon
The ancients regarded dragons as gods and spiritual beings, and they were very changeable. They could be thin or huge, short or long, and they could go deep into the water. Soaring to the sky. Legends about dragons can be found in almost every book in ancient Chinese classics, and there are countless legends and myths about dragons. Classics such as the "Book of Changes" give a complete and systematic discussion of dragons and give them philosophical meanings. In the Bagua, the overall dragon is used to illustrate the Qian hexagram, which is also the first hexagram in the "Book of Changes".
In addition, dragon legends and myths have appeared throughout the ages. Many places named after the word "dragon" also have dragon legends. As far back as the time of the Yellow Emperor, there are legends about the Yellow Emperor ascending to heaven on a dragon, and Yinglong helped the Yellow Emperor defeat Chiyou; when Xia Yu controlled floods, legend has it that a divine dragon drew the ground with its tail to form a river to divert floods; the legend of Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, was his mother's dream Seen mating with a red dragon and getting pregnant and born. From many stories and legends, we can see that people often focus all kinds of virtues and excellent qualities on dragons. Legend has it that the tradition of frying corn on the second day of February every year is to commemorate Yilong's efforts to relieve the suffering of drought in the world, even at the expense of offending the laws of heaven. Legend has it that the Jade Dragon was imprisoned by the Jade Emperor because he could not bear the suffering of the people from drought and helped the people with rain. He made a rule that he would be released only when the golden beans bloomed. The people gathered together to fry corn because they were grateful for Jade Dragon's righteous deeds. Because it looked like golden beans blooming, Taibai Jinxing, who was in charge of it, misunderstood it and released Jade Dragon. The tradition of frying corn on the second day of February every year has also been preserved.
Of course, in legends, there are righteous dragons that do good, but naturally there are also evil dragons that do disaster. With the enlightenment of people's wisdom, the introduction of Buddhist beliefs and other factors, the image of the Dragon King has changed among the people. As one of the Taoist traditions, the Dragon King has also begun to appear as a villain. Many places in China named after the word "dragon" also have dragon legends, including stories of evil dragons wreaking havoc. Just like Heilongjiang, it is said that white dragons have caused trouble in the past. Later, in a village by the river, a family went into labor and gave birth to a black dragon. It turns out that the Black Dragon came to help get rid of the White Dragon, and the villagers followed his instructions and supported him. Finally, the White Dragon was eliminated, and people named the river Heilongjiang in memory of the Black Dragon. There is Wolong Lake in Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan Province. There is a creamy yellow stone beam at the bottom of the lake, which is said to be the incarnation of the white dragon. There are two big rivers near Jiuzhaigou, one is called Heishui River, where legend has it that a big black dragon once lived there; the other is Bailong River, where a small white dragon lives. Legend has it that the black dragon was jealous of the scenery of Jiuzhaigou and sucked up the water there. When the little white dragon found out, he sprayed water from the Bailong River into Jiuzhaigou to restore its beauty. When Black Dragon found out, he started a fierce fight with White Dragon. When Black Dragon was defeated, he used a trick to poison the little White Dragon, and Little White Dragon was forced to flee to one of the lakes in Jiuzhaigou Valley. In order to find out the whereabouts of Bailong, Black Dragon alerted the Tibetan God of Ten Thousand Mountains, and was finally imprisoned by the mountain god and could no longer do evil. In recognition of the white dragon, the God of Ten Thousand Mountains gave it a set of golden armor. This is the origin of the legend of Wolong Lake.
The Dragon King in Literary Works
Dragons are personified in folk literature and art. Some sea dragon kings benefit the people, and some do harm to the people. In the mythical novels "Feng Shen Bang" and "Journey to the West", as well as the operas and dramas "Liu Yi's Biography" and "Zhang Yu Boiled the Sea", there are dragon kings with different good and evil qualities and human-like personalities.
In "Journey to the West", there are many descriptions of dragons and dragon stories. With the enlightenment of people's wisdom and the introduction of Buddhist beliefs, the image of the Dragon King has changed among the people. Before that, the impression of the Dragon King was generally positive. However, after Buddhism began to flourish, the status of the Dragon King began to decline. In "Journey to the West", it has become a supporting role or even a buffoon. In "Journey to the West", the Dragon Palace where Sun Wukong makes a big fuss is known to everyone as the Green Dragon King Ao Guang of the East China Sea. When the Dragon King of the Four Seas faced Sun Wukong, he was unable to resist. He could only tremble and offer treasures such as the diamond rod and golden armor, and he had very little screen time. Countless; and because he set fire to the Dragon Palace, he was almost executed by the Jade Emperor. Fortunately, he was saved by Guanyin Bodhisattva and became the White Horse Dragon King of Tang Sanzang. He was the third prince of Ao Run, another familiar White Dragon King of the West Sea.
The Dragon King in "The Romance of the Gods"
In addition to mentioning the Dragon King of the Four Seas in "Journey to the West", there is also a chapter in another chapter novel "The Romance of the Gods" The appearance of the Dragon King. "Feng Shen Yan Yi", also known as "Feng Shen Bang", was compiled by Xu Zhonglin during the middle to late Ming Dynasty. There is also a theory that it was adapted by Yangzhou Taoist thinker Lu Xixing.
"The Romance of the Gods" is based on the story of King Zhou Wu's crusade against King Zhou of Shang and describes the story of Jiang Ziya's canonization of the gods. In "The Legend of Creation of the Dragon", Tanaka Yoshiki repeatedly mentioned that the Dragon King of the Four Seas assisted the Zhou Dynasty in conquering Shang Zhou under the orders of the Emperor of Heaven, and the Dragon King also and indeed appeared in "The Romance of the Gods". But in "The Romance of the Gods", the Dragon King of the Four Seas did not play any important role in Zhou Wu's war against Zhou. In fact, as Long Tangshi said in "The Legend of Chuanglong", there is no mention in any literary works and classics that the Dragon King of the Four Seas participated in the revolutionary war of Zhou Wu. The role of the Dragon King in "Fengshen Yanyi" is almost the same as in "Journey to the West", becoming a supporting role and a buffoon.
In "The Legend of the Gods", Nezha plays the role of Sun Wukong in "Journey to the West". The naughty Nezha didn't know that the bellyband and wrist bracelet he was wearing were the treasures of the immortal. When he was taking a bath in Jiuhe Bay, he put his bellyband in the water, causing a vibration in the East China Sea, which even shook the Crystal Palace. Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East China Sea (also known as Ao Guang in some accounts) sent people to investigate, but the men he sent were beaten to death by the naughty Nezha with his treasure. Ao Guang sent his third prince to investigate again, but the third prince was also killed by Nezha, and was even skinned and cramped by Nezha. Finally, Ao Guang asked Li Jingdaxing, Nezha's father, to accuse him and promised to report to the Emperor of Heaven.
Nezha was unconvinced and chased Ao Guang back on the road and beat him up. Finally, the Dragon King of the Four Seas reported the matter to the Emperor of Heaven, and arrested Li Jing's family for trial in the Heavenly Court. At this time, Nezha took the blame alone, had a dissection, removed the intestines, removed the bones and returned the meat to his parents, which settled the matter. In the end, Nezha was resurrected with the help of his master Taiyi Zhenren, and served as the vanguard in King Wu's war against Zhou. After that, the Dragon King was not mentioned again in "The Romance of the Gods". It can be seen that the statement that the Dragon King of the Four Seas assisted the Zhou Dynasty in conquering Shang Zhou is indeed purely the creation of Tanaka Yoshiki and has no precise mythological and legendary background support.
The legend of Longquan Township
"The Legend of Chuanglong" mentioned that Longquan Township is somewhere in Qinghai Province. In fact, is there a Longquan Township in Qinghai Province? As mentioned in the previous paragraph, almost every province has a place named after "dragon", and there are also several places named after Longquan. Where is Longquan? It is generally believed to be Longquan County in present-day Zhejiang Province. Before the Tang Dynasty, this place was called Longquan Township, and the Tang Dynasty began to establish counties here. The name Longquan comes from a "Longquan Sword". According to the "Yue Jueshu", a history book of the Yue State in the Spring and Autumn Period, there is this record: The King of Chu heard that there was a general in the Wu State and an Ou Yezi in the Yue State, both of whom were famous swordsmiths. So he sent people to spend a lot of money to hire two famous masters to forge some iron swords for the Chu State. After the two applied for the job, they dug through Mount Ci, drained the streams in the mountain, found the essence of iron ore, and cast it into three swords, one called Longyuan, one called Tai'a, and one called Gongbu. Later, to avoid the taboo of Tang Emperor Li Yuan, Longyuan Sword was renamed Longquan Sword. In the Longquan County of Zhejiang Province that I just mentioned, there is a Jianchi Lake to the south of the county. According to legend, it is the place where Ou Yezi forged swords. It is also called Longyuan, so this place is called Longquan.
But there are several places also called Longquan. In addition to Longquan County just now, Zhejiang Province also has a Longquan County in Yongjia County. According to the "Shui Jing Zhu", the water pattern in the spring became the shape of a dragon, and livestock did not dare to drink here. There is also a Longquan in Xiping County, Henan Province. Ancient books say that this spring water can sharpen swords and make them sharp. There is a Longquan farm in Jiangxi. It was established as Longquan County in the Southern Tang Dynasty and is now called Suizhou. There is Longquanping in Guizhou, which was also called Longquan County in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and later changed to Fengquan County and Fenggang County. So, is there Longquan Township in Qinghai Province? In the available data, there are none. Maybe there are small villages and townships called this, but whether it can really lead to Kunlun is unknown.
The Dragon King
The dragon is one of the four spirits in ancient Chinese mythology. The "Taishang Dongyuan Divine Curse Sutra" contains the "Dragon King Grade", which lists the "Five Emperors Dragon Kings" distinguished by directions, the "Four Sea Dragon Kings" distinguished by oceans, 54 dragon kings' names and 62 dragon kings distinguished by heaven and earth. The name of the famous dragon king. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, a temple was built in the Dragon Pond and an altar official was set up to offer sacrifices to the Dragon King in the manner of the Rain Master. Taizu of the Song Dynasty followed the Tang Dynasty's system of worshiping five dragons. In the second year of Emperor Huizong's reign (1108), all five dragons in the world were granted the title of king. The Green Dragon God was named King Guangren, the Red Dragon God was King Jiaze, the Yellow Dragon God was King Fuying, the White Dragon God was King Yiji, and the Black Dragon God was King Lingze. In the second year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1863), the Dragon God of the Canal was also named the "God of the Dragon King of the Waters of Yanxiu Xianying", and the governor of the river was ordered to offer sacrifices at the right time. In "Journey to the West", the Dragon Kings are: Ao Guang of the East China Sea, Ao Qin of the South China Sea, Ao Run of the West Sea, and Ao Shun of the North Sea, known as the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.
Therefore, the Dragon King’s job is to stir up clouds and rain, and eliminate heat and troubles for people. The Dragon King’s control of water has become a common belief among the people. The "Dragon King Pin" in the Taoist "Tai Shang Dong Yuan Shen Mantra Sutra" says, "The land is hot and dry, and the five grains cannot be harvested. I don't know how to time it." Yuanshi Tianzun came to the land on a five-color cloud and preached it to the dragon kings of the heavens and others. The righteous Dharma saves all sentient beings, and the heavy rains and torrents are sweet and moist at the right time.
There are differences in various literature records and folklore in various places on the birthday of the Dragon King God. In the old days, temples dedicated to the Dragon King were almost as common as temples to the City God and the Earth God. Whenever there is an imbalance between wind and rain, a prolonged drought without rain, or a prolonged rain that does not stop, people go to the Dragon King Temple to burn incense and pray, hoping that the Dragon King will control the water and bring good weather.
The dragon is a miraculous animal in Chinese legends that is good at change, can cause clouds and rain, and benefit all things. It is the leader of all scale insects and the leader of the four spirits (dragon, phoenix, unicorn, and turtle). Ancient books describe its image in many different ways.
One theory is that it is slender and has four legs, with the head of a horse and the tail of a snake. One theory is that it is covered in scales, has beards, horns, and five claws on its head. "Compendium of Materia Medica" states that "dragons have nine similarities", which are different types that have the strengths of various animals. It has many names. The one with scales is called Jiaolong, the one with wings is called Yinglong, the one with horns is called Duotalong, and the one without horns is called Qiu. The small one is called Jiao, and the big one is called Dragon. Most of the legends say that it can appear or hide, can be thin or large, can be short or long. The spring equinox ascends to the sky, the autumnal equinox dives into the abyss, it can call the wind and rain, and it is omnipotent. In mythology, it is the ruler of the underwater world (Dragon King), in folk it is a symbol of auspiciousness, and in ancient times it was the incarnation of imperial rule.