Oldest Known Form of the Chinese Dragon

Oldest Known Form of the Chinese Dragon, from the Aboriginal Tribes of Western China. Title Encyclopaedia of superstitions, folklore, and the occult sciences of the world: a comprehensive library of human belief and practice in the mysteries of life, Volume 2.

Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World: A Comprehensive Library of Human Belief and Practice in the Mysteries of Life, Charles McClellan Stevens.

Editors: Cora Linn Morrison Daniels, Charles McClellan Stevens. Publisher: J. H. Yewdale & sons co., 1903. Original from Harvard University. Digitized: Mar 27, 2006.

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Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs.

Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, and floods. In yin and yang terminology, a dragon is yang (male) and complements a yin (female) fenghuang "Chinese phoenix". The Chinese Dragon is generally used as the symbol of culture. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck.