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My Own Chinese Brocade

Sharing My Life in China
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Dragons

October 23, 2016

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, October 23 – I’m not sure how I’ve made it this far into the year without posting specifically about dragons! Dragons, called龙 long, are HUGE in China and there is no way I’ll cover everything there is to learn about them in this paragraph! Most importantly, dragons in China are GOOD, unlike dragons in Western lore that are/were mean, ferocious enemies. Chinese dragons are mainly symbols of power and good luck. They have a very different look than most Western dragons. They have NO wings (although they can fly) and they don’t breathe fire; They have scales like a fish, the mane of a lion, the claws of a hawk, a long tail like a snake, the antlers of a deer, the mouth of a bull, the beard of a catfish, the nose of a dog, and eyes like a shrimp! Legend says that the emperor was a direct descendant of the dragon. Legend also says that the Imperial dragon had 9 dragon sons; today, you can still recognize nine different specific dragons, used in different ways. The dragon is also one of the Chinese Zodiac animals, the only mythological one of the group. Long ago, the dragon symbol was only allowed to be used by the emperor, but, today dragon symbols are widely used as a decorative symbol. This large ornamental pillar with a dragon wrapped around it is located in the Dalingshan Town Square, in Dongguan. 

In Architecture, Art, Chinese Culture, Dalingshan, Dongguan, Symbolism Tags Dragon, pillar, good luck, power
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Cat on an old Chinese roof -  #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catonroof #zhuhai #Beishan
Cat on an old Chinese roof - #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catonroof #zhuhai #Beishan
Japanese white-eye fledglings in the park #Japanesewhiteeye #fledglings #bird #birds #birding #nature #Zhuhai #Zhuhainature #chinabirds #birdsofChina #birdsofinstagram #bird #birds #birding #naturephotography
Japanese white-eye fledglings in the park #Japanesewhiteeye #fledglings #bird #birds #birding #nature #Zhuhai #Zhuhainature #chinabirds #birdsofChina #birdsofinstagram #bird #birds #birding #naturephotography
Zhuhai Fisher Girl/Lady Statue, the most famous landmark in Zhuhai since 1982. She holds a pearl above her head representing the beauty of Zhuhai, which means "Sea Pearl." #zhuhai #FisherGirl #Fisherlady
Zhuhai Fisher Girl/Lady Statue, the most famous landmark in Zhuhai since 1982. She holds a pearl above her head representing the beauty of Zhuhai, which means "Sea Pearl." #zhuhai #FisherGirl #Fisherlady
Zhuhai Fisher Girl/Lady Statue, the most famous landmark in Zhuhai since 1982. She holds a pearl above her head representing the beauty of Zhuhai, which means "Sea Pearl." #zhuhai #FisherGirl #Fisherlady
Zhuhai Fisher Girl/Lady Statue, the most famous landmark in Zhuhai since 1982. She holds a pearl above her head representing the beauty of Zhuhai, which means "Sea Pearl." #zhuhai #FisherGirl #Fisherlady




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