Legend of the Chinese Dragon and real appearances in history

Dragon, the most famous mythological creature in the world. The whole world has its own legend. But there's no denying that the Dragon from Chinese legend is the most interesting. Is it possible that a flying creature with the body of a snake, horns, and claws really exists?

In Europe, the dragon has always been symbolized as an evil being. However, for the Chinese people, the dragon symbolizes strength and power. So great was the reverence of the Chinese people for this creature that the mighty emperors proudly wore dragons as their symbols.

For the Chinese, the dragon is one of the four spiritual beings who receive the highest respect. The other three creatures are Phoenix, Qilin (Kirin), and Tortoise. But among all, the dragon is the most powerful.

Characteristics of the Dragon and the number 9

In Chinese mythology, the dragon is closely related to the number "9". For example, the Chinese Dragon actually has 9 characteristics which are a combination of those of other creatures.

1. It has a head like a camel

2. The scales are like fish

3. It has horns like a deer

4. His eyes are like a stealth

5. His ears are like an ox

6. His neck is like a snake

7. His stomach is like an oyster

8. The soles of his feet like a tiger

9. And its claws are like an eagle's.

Apart from these 9 characteristics, the dragon in Chinese mythology is said to have 9 children who also have different characteristics.

It also has 117 scales. 81 of them have a Yang (Positive) character and 36 others have a Yin (Negative) character.

In general, Chinese dragons have three or four claws on each foot. But the Chinese empire uses the dragon symbol with five claws to show that the Emperor is not an ordinary dragon. This emblem then became an exclusive emblem that could only be used by the emperor. Anyone who dares to use the dragon's coat of arms with 5 claws will be immediately put to death.

Four Kinds of Dragons

In Chinese literature, at least found more than 100 names of different dragons. However, for simplicity, Chinese Dragons are usually only classified into four types, namely:

Tien Lung or Heavenly Dragon, who is in charge of guarding the palace of the gods.

Shen Lung or Spiritual Dragon who rules over wind and rain

Ti Lung or Earth Dragon, who rules over the water on the earth's surface

Fucang Lung or the Dragon of the underworld who is in charge of guarding the treasures that are in it.

The four types of dragons may be spiritual, but as I said above, there are about 100 other dragon names.

From about 100 of these names, it can be seen that Chinese dragons are actually not always associated with spiritual beings. It could be, the dragon is an animal that has a real physique.

Therefore, we must separate the Spiritual Dragons from the Dragons as real animals.

Chinese Dragons and Cryptozoology

For example, Jiao Lung or Dragon Crocodile. This type of dragon is hornless and is called the leader of the water animals. Based on its name, there is a possibility that this type of dragon is a crocodile. This mention parallels the title Komodo Dragon, which uses the name of the dragon to refer to the giant reptile creature Komodo. This name clearly shows that the Chinese dragon does not always mean a flying creature with the body of a snake, horns, grunts, and claws.

Another example is Pan Lung or the Spiral Dragon. This type of dragon lives in lakes and has not been able to rise to the sky to become a spiritual being. This type of dragon may refer to aquatic creatures such as snakes or eels. An example is the Oarfish (which lives in the sea) which has unique enough characteristics that people often compare it to the Chinese dragon.

It is possible that sightings of a creature similar to the Oarfish in the lakes of China have been mistaken for dragon sightings.

Then, there is Fei Lung a.k.a Flying Dragon. This dragon has wings and rides on the clouds and fog. Interestingly, this name is also used to refer to Pterosaurs in Chinese. Fei Lung is probably the same type of dragon as the European dragon.

Dragon sightings in Chinese history

If some Chinese Dragons can be categorized into Cryptid creatures, has there ever been any testimony regarding their sightings?

The answer: Yes!

The history of the Chinese state dates back thousands of years BC. During that period, scholars documented every event in neat notes, including the sighting of dragons in various places in China.

However, the events that are poured into it may have been interpreted based on the understanding and culture of the ancient Chinese people so that some of the stories sound quite mystical. However, other stories have similarities with cases of encounters with Cryptid creatures.

One example of a dragon sighting event is recorded in the book Recording for the Jiaxing Regional Government which tells that in September 1588, a white dragon was seen flying over the surface of Lake Ping in the Pinghu region, Zhejiang province. The light that came out of the white dragon was so bright that it lit up part of the sky with a bright red color.

In another book, Recording for the Songjiang Regional Government, it is stated that 20 years after the appearance of the white dragon in Lake Ping, a similar white dragon was also seen flying over the Huangpu River in Songjiang, Shanghai. The dragon was seen in July 1608. An eyewitness claimed to have seen a god standing on the dragon's head.

Testimony about the existence of a god who rides the dragon is an example of witnessing an encounter with a dragon as a spiritual being. In addition, there are other testimonies that do not mention any flying gods or dragons. These testimonies sound very similar to stories of typical cryptid sightings. Below are some examples:

In the 24th year of Emperor Jian'an's reign of the Dong Han dynasty (219 AD), a yellow dragon appeared on the Chishui River in Wuyang City and stayed there for nine days before leaving. After that, the villagers built a temple there and an inscription was made in honor of the dragon.

In April 345 AD, the first year of the Yonghe emperor's reign, two dragons, one white and the other black, appeared on Long mountain. This incident of the appearance of the dragons made the emperor Murong of the Yan kingdom lead a number of officials to the mountain to see the dragons. When they got there, they held a religious ceremony within 200 yards of the two dragons.

Hundreds of years later, on the same mountain, a dragon appears again. This event is recorded in the book History of the Yuan Dynasty:

"In July, the 27th year of emperor Zhiyuan's reign (1290 AD), a dragon appeared near Mount Long in Linxong County, Shandong Province. The dragon was able to make a large rock float in the air."

There is no further explanation about how the dragon made the boulder float.

In 1162, a dead dragon is said to have been found in Lake Taibai. This dragon has long antennae with large scales. Its back is black, while its belly is white. On his back there is a fin, while on his head there are two large horns. Because the creature emits an unpleasant odor, the residents then cover it with a mattress. Local authorities immediately ordered the holding of a prayer ceremony at that location. One day after the discovery, the dragon's carcass disappeared somewhere.

Another testimony is recorded by the book Recording for the Lin'an Regional Government which tells that in 1631, the 4th year of the Chongzhen emperor's reign, a large dragon was seen in a lake in Yunan province. Because of this appearance, the lake was later named Yilong which means mysterious dragon lake. This name is still being used until now.

another book, the Amanded Recording of the Tang Dynasty, records the discovery of a dead black dragon in the Tongcheng Territory. This event occurred in the last year of the Xiantong emperor's reign. Interestingly, this book provides a fairly detailed description of the dragon. It is said that the length of the dragon is about 30 meters where half of it is the tail. The tip of the dragon's tail is flat, its scales are like fish and on its head grow two horns. Barbels beside the mouth has a length of 6 meters. The leg that grow on his tummy had a red-colored layer. This description closely resembles that of a classic Chinese dragon.

The book Seven Books and Scriptures written by Long Ying also record the discovery of the dragon that occurred in the last year of the reign of Emperor Chenghua of the Ming dynasty. The dragon was found on the coast of Xinhui, Guangdong province. Fishermen who saw him hit the creature to death. The dragon is approximately 10 meters long and looks similar to dragons in classical paintings. This story is quite strange because a fisherman who saw a dragon would generally not beat it to death, considering that the Chinese highly respected this creature. Maybe the creature bothered the fisherman, but we can't be sure.

The book History for the Yongping Regional Government records that in the spring of the 19th year during the reign of Emperor Daoguang (1839), a dragon was found on the banks of the Luanhe River in the Laoting region. The dragon's carcass is seen being covered in flies and maggots. Local residents then built a shelter to protect it from direct sunlight. They also doused cold water on his body. Legend has it that three days later, the Dragon came back to life and just walked away.

The most modern incident involving the discovery of a dragon occurred in August 1944. A black dragon reportedly fell to the ground in Weizi village in the Chen family's courtyard, about 9.4 miles northwest of Zhaoyuan county, south of the Mudan river in Heilongjiang province. The black dragon was found in a lifeless condition. Eyewitnesses say that this creature has horns on its head and scales that cover its entire body. The creature has a fish-like smell that attracts flies to swarm around it.

From all these testimonies, an interesting question arises. If the Dragon mentioned in some of these testimonies is a real animal, then what kind of animal has a body like a snake, horns, legs, and has grunts on the sides of its mouth?

That's the mystery, what do you think?

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