Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CHINESE DRAGON
ERONy-E Dragon,
Kaxg
H.si
Period
Three hundred years ago Pero Veribest, Jesuit priest at the court of Kaiig Hsi, cast a numlier of bronze astronomical instruments for his imperial patron. Tlie apparatus, of which this is a part, stands in the open, but tlio workmanship is so perfect and the care it has received has been so faitlifiil that one would hardly imagino tliat this dragon was cast more than tliiee centuries ago.
XEWT^OX HAYES
WITH AN INTEODUCTIOX BY
FONG
F.
SEC, LL.D.
ffl
THIRD EDITION
Reprixxed IX
1922,
1923
INTRODUCTION
The
people
subject of this little book
is
of gener.il interest to
who
The dragon
R<'-
The dragon
country.
is
common ornamental
to
it
articles
on this subject have been published in magazines, and the No independent references to it in books are very brief.
study of the dragon in book form has been made in either
of these
The author
of work.
He was
language as a native.
first-hand
He
half the
number
of provinces of China.
The study
is
thereis it
The
China have made it possible for him to go to original sources and to study the subject from every angle.
Viii
INTKODUCTIOX
Perhaps the
last
it
is
not yet
said,
nevertheless
tliis
treatise is as
This
little
volume should
foreigners, but
l^e
u{ value to all
who
will also be
such
on China.
ftn* more people to take up the study of other phases of Chinese lift^ in the same way and thus help to interpret China to the West.
It
FoxG
Mdl/ 9, 1922.
F. Sec.
PREFACE
In the spring
Vjeing a guest for a
of 1909
week
in the
summer home
of Dr.
W. A.
P.
Many
the decade preceding the Revolution, and for a number of " and visited the yaciTS before that, knew " Pearl Grotto
Wen
College.
was a scholar
and enjoyed
memory
Virgil,
At that
art.
was
just
beginning
a general
study of Chinese
The
dragon,
among
occurred to
him
to ask Dr.
Martin
this
creature whose
form was so
was
The
first
question met
little
better,
and so on
to the end.
Then
X
was one
PREFACE
of the subjects about
Httle.
He was, however, very warm answers to these questions, and he referred his guest to his personal friend. Sir Robert Hart, the Inspector General of
in. his desire to help find
who had
also lived
fifty
years in
China.
were as vague
asked of these two eminent Sinologues were also submitted to several other British and Americans in Peking,
and
later to
many
'
It soon became evident that if the searcher for light on " Things Chinese were to learn much about this creature which had challenged his attention, he must look it up
from
original sources.
it
He was
later
when he found
He
then
in
Peking.
volume
it
is
This book
it
is
The volume
is
written
who
has
little
Most people do
PREFACE
If
Xi
it,
later
interest
in
a larger
work
will be
The
writer's
lias
done within
tlic
compass of a
If
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction
vii
Preface
Illustrations
ix
xv
CHAPTER ONE
The Place of the Dragon
in Chinese Liee
...
CHAPTER TWO
How
the Dragon Idea Originated
10
CHAPTER THREE
The Varieties of Dragons
15
CHAPTER FOITR
What Dragons Really Look
People
Like
2:5
CHAPTER FIVE
Who Have
in
Seen Dragons
31
CHAPTER SIX
The Dragon
Western Mythology
38
CHAPTER SEVEN
Quaint Beliefs About the Dragon
45
CHAPTER EIGHT
HoAv Dragons Control the Fortunes of
Men
51
CHAPTER NINE
The Hold of the Dragon on China
xiii
57
ILLUSTRATIONS
Bro>'ze Dragox,
-rs
:
.
.
Frontispiecps '
Emperor Kaxg Hsi in Dragon Robes The Dr.AGON Throne of the Recent Emperors The Han Dynasty Dragons The Porcelain Dragon Screen The Dragon Staircase An Imperial Dragon
Tablet to Confucius
....
.
Pagk
1
2
7
13 14
17
Dragon Gateway The Dragon Stone Dragon Eaves-Tile Dragon-Guarded Astrolabe Surrounded by Dragons A Drag ON -Mounted Bell A Cloud Dragon Circular Dragon Eaves-Tile Chien Lung Vases A Living Dragon Two Porcelain Dragons The "Dragon Square" The '-Dragon Disk" Emperor Kang Hsi on the Dragon Throne A Dragon Lantern A Dragon Column The Gateway' to the Dragon Weli The Dragon Tablet A Dragon Boat Race in Foochow
XV
18
21
22
25
26
29
30 35
36 43 44 49 50
.
55 56 59
60
63
64
^^^^
Emperor Kang Hsi
in
Dragon Robes
Hsi, the venerated patron of art and literature, did at the age of sixty-nine, after ruling China for sixty-one vears llus portrait was painted in the Imperial Palace at Peking, shortly before Jio died in 112:).
Kang
C5
P^
.S
r-
52^ o "
tt
C -5
;-
E-i^
GHAPTKR ONE
THE PLACE OF THE UUAGUN
IN
CHINESE LIFE
imagined them
to be.
all
They
highly revered by
the people.
They
pos^^ess
marvelous powers and they occasionally permit themselves to be seen by mortal eyes. Such is
the belief
of
at
least
seven out
of
ever}'-
ten
Chinese.
the dragon
that
it
is
is
so deepl}'
advisable for
idea of
a truly sympathetic
mai^kable people.
life
Chinese
member
animal kingdom.
Particularly
art,
is
literature,
and
religion.
Chinese
variety.
art
in endless
The graceful lines of its symmetrically proportioned body are found in every part of the country painted upon silks and porcelain, woven
on Avood, embroidered upon satin, cast iu bronze, and chiseled upon marble. It is the most characteristically Chinese of the many Oriental designs which are so attractive to
into brocades, carved
^Western students of
art.
abounds in references to this marvelous creature as one may readily discover by even a cursory study of poetry, letters, medicine, its books of history,
literature
of
The
the
country
and
fiction.
Chinese folklore
great animal, while
is
replete
with
countless
an
infinite
number
of proverbs
and old
testimony to the
existence.
man,
head of the list of all living creatures, thus occupying the position of the lion or tiger in our Western classification. Strictly speaking,
at the
dmgoa
the rank
king only
of scale-covered
animals or creatures
which
two fabulous creatures, the Chi Ling and the Phoenix respectively, have first place above all beasts and other animals which live upon the earth, and all birds and other creatures which fly in the air. But
live in
the sea;
the
is
equally at
home
in the air
LIFE 5
and oil the earth, as well as in the sea, it has been ranked as the ruler of all created life below man.
Chinese geoniancy for ages has looked
to the
dragon as a means
fortunes
of
of
determining the
of
fates
and
very
the
"Sons
Han."
first
Until
consulting a
upon
his action.
It
of the lunar
calendar
control.
are
under
dragon's
dominating
appearances
of
king
of beasts
more years since the age of the three mythical rulers. Appearances of the dragon are connected
with the stories of
many prominent
characters of
China's past.
erence
is
Perhaps the most noteworthy refone which states that two dragons as
home
of Confucius
on
These frequent
Chinese scholars
most
part,
by the majority
of
Chinese religion places the dragon in the calendar of its deities as the God of Rain and the
Ivuler of Rivers, Lakes,
and
Seas.
As such
it
has
heen worshiped
very few
for centuries.
whole country which, at least until the recent revolution, were without a temple or shrine to the dragon king. This deity was worsliiped on the first and fifteenth
cities of
any
size in the
of
every month.
In the opinion
lands
commonly think
light as
of the
of
same
or
they think
of
the
Minotaur
It
Grecian fables:
human
in the
most
of
them think
it
this is a
mistaken conception.
It
may
be considered a
ver}^
conservative estimate to
sixty million
of
hundred and
dragons
as walruses wanderingarctic-
though they themselves may never have set foot upon the shores of india nor have crossed
the Arctic Sea.
-.
7:^T'-^'
I
,
The simplicity of disk, wliich is usually des'cribod as the sun. these dragons is very marked in contrast to the elaborate designs of the present daj'.
Vi
=3'
-2-S
writer
made
a localized
in dragons.
tlie belief
One hundred
in an important city
were
wliat
Do you
believe in
And
answered the
dragon these
six
first
men
believe in
existence.
of fourteen years.
CHAPTER TWO
HOW THE DRAGON
The
we
liiid
IDEA ORIGINATED
liicli
is
undoubtedly a very different animal from the one which was responsible lor the origin of the dragon
idea.
The
salamander,
this
unique
far
more
likely,
however, that
Back
in
dawn
of history
human
race
some early member of the may have met with one of these
monstrous creatures which paleontologists tell us were, in some period of their development,
equally at
cause of
its
attributed to
ages,
a supernatural origin.
In
later
even the unearthed skeleton of one of these monsters might have been sufficient to have led
to the inception of the story.
If this
theory
is
correct
it
is
easy
to
understand
10
how
through
HOW
MEN
succeeding ages the belief could have grown and how superstition and coincidence would have done their share to elaborate from the early monster the marvelous creature of the
present day.
most probable prototj^pe of the dragon is the Brontosaurus of the Mesozoic age, although the present conception of the dragon
writer believes that the
may
easily
and
the
reconstructed animals
indicate
strik-
of China. of
The
first
appearance
the
is
true
dragon,
considered to
fort}'-
Huang
Ti,
or
Hsuan Yuan,
had reigned one hundred and eleven years a large dragon appeared and took him to heaven upon his back. Since that day dragons have been seen in every dynasty and by hundreds of witnesses, as Chinese
are told that after this personage
We
Dragon appearances
12
In support of this
belief, it is
when the late President Yuan Shih-kai was trying to make himself emperor his friends made at least one attempt to unearth
what were supposed to be the bones of a dragon. This was done in order that the superstitious among his countr3^men might be led to feel that his desire to reestablish the empire was according
to the law of heaven.
For centmies
it
for
anyone
lived,
who saw
magistrate
the
district
which
he
immediately
to announce the fact to the emperor. In early days history was often counted from the
was able to end the great flood 2297 e.g. only after he had succeeded in capturing the dragon, who was said to be responsible for the deluge. The animal Avas chained in heavy ia*ons and imprisoned, after which the flood subsided. Ever since that time
all
Wang
dragons,
we
are told,
memory
of the
only
man
their kind.
Temple
of
Heaven
in Peking.
'-
tr
S:
o m
o:
c:
oc
i:;
^"
.2
1-^
c,
*^.
2 c s '^
'"2
T.
'c
t-
c "
CHAPTER THREE
THE VARIETIES OF DRAGONS
To the majority
of
There
are,
however,
name.
the
Lung Wang,
Shen Lung,
Tu
Lung.
belong to
the
genus
dragon
characteristics
which
differentiates
it
from the
others.
it is
For
also
named, has and is the only species Avhich possesses wings. It is, however, but one of these species, the Shen Lung, which will be considered at this time. Of the eight varieties this is the one best
The others may be dismissed with a word. Dr. Williams, in his " Middle Kingdom," mentions only three varieties and says that these
known.
are respectively dragons of the sky, of the sea,
and
However, it seems that the Chinese are not generally accustomed to make They rather consider that such a classification.
of
marshes.
35
16
tlie
Most of the other varieties are minor creatures which are practical!}' unknown and have slight bearing upon this study. Tlie one exception to this rule is the Lung Wang,
king.
that
its
or dragon
This species
differs
from the
dragon
others
in
members
body.
in
possess a dragon's
this
is
head upon a
said to
human
to
By some
answer
Neptune
Western m^^tliology.
of
from those
rarely
most interested in that dragon kings grow old and never die. The remaining varieties are all quite secondary and practically never appear in any form of art. These are menare the
we
tioned
to
an
dragon, the
dragon which has held China in its spell since the days of Yao and Shun. All true dragons are'of two kinds: those which are such by birth and those which become dragons
by transformation from
fish
of
The transformed
variety
become dragons by
year,
we
Tablet to Confucius
This red lacquer tablet, inscribed -witli eight characters in gold, stands in tlie shrine of the Provincial Temple of Chekiang at Hangchow, The inscription may be freely translated, "The Sacred Tablet of Our Revered Teacher Confucius." The tablet Kine dragis approximately four feet high and one foot wide. ons play hide and seek in the framework that borders the edge of the inscription. Two larger dragons t\^ine themselves about the slender pillars before the shrine. These .serve as guards of honor. These two creatures symliolize the two dragons \\ hich, history says, encircled the home of Confucius when th.e sag^ was born. Similar tablets are found in all temples to Confucius
tliroughout China.
Dragon Gateway
main entrance to Xanliing's Examination Hall, -nhere the Master's Degree was earned, stood a long "spirit wall." Upon the front of this structure was painted a dragon gate, beneath which was shown a carp changing into a dragon. A Bachelor of Arts, according to China's ancient system of education, upon becoming a Master, was congratulated by his friends as having passed through the '-Dragon Gate." The implication was that it was as difficult for a Bachelor of Arts to become a Master as for a carp to be transformed into a dragon.
Witliin the
19
known
as
the
the cataract
"Dragon's Gate."
the higher
this
waters above.
effort
become dragons. After the story strange occurrence became known to the
it
of this
public,
life
of the people in
a popular saying,
in
The use
implied
were said to have ''passed the Dragon Gate." of this figure was doubtless to illustrate
tlie
examinations, for
it
was
man
to
was
for the
happy inference that even as the carp, an ordinary fish, might become a mighty dragon, just so by this supreme effort a scliolar might become a master of arts, thus placing the value of the transformation on a ver}^ higli scale.
One
ancient authority
tells
us that there
is
a
as
known
"lazy dragons."
exert
They
drop
size,
20
under
roofs of houses,
and even
pecting countrymen.
of their desertion
liis
Tiie
an
electric
This explains to
many an unsophisticated
man
during thunderstorms.
parts of the country
is
is
An
"
Lan Lung,"
I--
to
sS
a.'o
~_
^
O
c3
t/r
>
o O a
to
CHAPTER FOUR
WHAT DRAGONS REALLY LOOK
generation
LIKE
it
is
surprising to find
how
the average
to give
person
who
when asked
the great
an accurate description
of
creature.
Perhaps
remember
the dragon.
that there
to give
which purport
of
The innumerable
in
Chinese literature largely deal with the dragon's performances and say little about his appearance.
In order to make a satisfactory study of the dragon one must, therefore, follow a tedious process of
collecting, eliminating,
titude
of stories,
and make a careful study of selected pictures and carvings, and if possible secure interviews with those who profess to have seen the great king of the animal creation.
history,
23
24
who
is
anxious to make
intelli-
man,
with
animals
which we are quite familiar. lie says many that it has the head of a camel, the horns of a deer, the ears of a cow, the neck of a snake, the body of a fish, the scales of a carp, the claws of an eagle, the eyes of a devil, and the paws of a tiger. The bodies of all dragons, we are informed,
are symmetrically divided into three sections of
to the
of the
to the
tip
Tang
to
dynasty,
says
that
the
dragon
has
the
itself
it
may
at
cause
will,
or
invisible
and
short,
and
coarse or fine, at
its
own good
of course,
pleasure."
This wonderful
difficult
versatilit}',
makes
it
for us to find
any
maximum
no limit
of the
length of
set for its
expansion.
helps out a
a
certain
Another book
little,
however,
dragon,
Dragox-Go-aiided Astrolabe
This exquisitely %-\-rouf:ht bronze instrument for measuring the position It stands at the foot of the ramp of the stars may be seen in I'eking. the leading to tlie Imperial Observatory. Tliree hundred years aso magnificent Jesuit astronomer Veribest had this, and a score of other pieces instruments, cast for the emperor Kang Hsi. IMost of tliese great workmanship. are surmounted or protected by dragons of the finest
SCRROUXDED BY DrAGONS
This palace portrait was a prized possession of the Jlanchu emperors. Yung Cheng, the sun of Kang Hsi, is here shown upon the throne, which ho ascended in 1 723. Countless dragons disport themselves upon his costly robes of state and writhe and wreathe themselves in the lattice structure of his
imperial throne.
27
while
assumes a
The
smallest size of
silkworm.
In
red,
color,
During the
color,
Manchu
and the yellow or golden dragon was designated the imperial dragon. In the preceding dynasty, the Ming dynasty, when red was the national
color,
it
is
believed
that the
red
dragon was
official
dragon
of the empire.
Every
number
and
is
still
number
found on the dragons of Japanese art. Ordinarily Chinese dragons have four claws, while
those of five were recognized as imperial dragons. The two types of Chinese dragons, with these
slight variations, are, species,
and
An
is
we can
find
no
28
theory.
It is
China Japan
claws
on
each
it is
foot.
borrowed her
art
not unlikely
when
only
it
from
its
head
talL
The
true
different in appearance
possesses his
own
peculiar characteristics.
tomed
and which we often see in carvings and architecture. The dragon heads on bells, on the peak tiles of temples and palaces, on sword hiltS', on monuments, and in
to look for in the dragon,
God
of
himself.
Djiagox-Mounted Bell
Three dragons unite themselves to form the structure from whi.h hangs this graceful bell. Tlie frame is of redwood from southern Chiaa and, like much of the carvings from the city of Foochow, it is riclily inlaid withsilver. A fourth dragon coils over the surface of the bell. Two dragonliko heads unite to form the loop by which the bell is hung. These represent one variety of the nine sons of tho king of the animal world.
A
One
Cloud Dragon
of the men who claimod to have seen a living dragon was by profession an artist. This medallion was drawn by him. "Except for the whiskers, this painting represents wliat I saw when a young man in Shantung province. " The cloud dragon is a favorite theme of artists. Draporis are supposed to travel about upon the clouds. It is a common belief, and ono which was held also liy Confucius, that clouds spring from dragons. An ancient and \\ ell-known saying declares: ''C'lotids conm from dragons and wind from ticers."
CHAPTER FIVE
PEOPLE
textbooks
as a
and pictures
the
dragon
China to-day who claim to have seen these animals, some of which have been described very accurately. The writer has had the pleasure of conversing
creature of reality, yet there are
in
men
who
close
have
range.
He
has also
Avho are
said
this
most
marvelous of creatures.
men whom
mind and
to
men
of reliable character.
There
is
no reason
them were
inebriate or
they
he once saw a dragon in his native province, Shantung. The animal had been killed, so it was
31
32
believed,
by the order of heaven, as a punishment for some misdeed, and had fahen to the earth, where it lay as the center of attraction for hundreds of people who came in crowds from that whole
countryside.
Its
which we are also a native was who A familiar. of Shantung, and whose home was near the sea,
that of the popular pictures with
school servant,
He
told the
was about
fifteen feet
too, attracted
Although
this
man was
sincerity
really seen a
A
is
monster
who
Nanking, informed the writer that when he was a young man a dragon fell one night from the sky and lay for twentj^-four hours near his home.
The country
and saw
its
its
folk
respectfully
to
covered
it
with
matting, but he
managed
body.
raise
its
the covering
four legs,
fifty
and
feet
scale-covered
was about
As in the other two cases, dragon disappeared from the earth during a
PEOPLE
lieavy storm.
WHO HAVE
It
SEEN DRAGONS
33
it
came
its
and was taken up into the heavens upon a cloud, which formed beneath
to life again
body.
The
artist
who drew
that,
dragon recounted
year of the
Emperor Kuang Hsu, while he himself was on his way to Peking to receive the seals of a district magistrate, he came across a dragon lying upon the banks of the Yellow River in
Shantung province. It was blue in color and was several tens of feet in length. The whole air was filled with a ver}^ offensive salt sea odor, and
out of respect for the creature, which was supposed
to
from heaven, the crowd of people that stood around was busily engaged in sprinkling
fallen
its
have
water upon
of a
body.
that
Another Chinese has related that a business partner of his, while on a journey up the Yangtze River, saw three dragons crossing a mountain range near the shore. Every person on board was spellbound as they watched the three monsters one yellow, another white, and the third blue as
they
majestically
made
their
Avay
with
great
34
saw every
scales
of
their bodies.
banks
during
of
fog
or
great
windstorms
rainstorms.
as
In-
variably
these
having
in
scale-covered bodies.
for
One
reasonable explanation
the
suspended dragons
may
be
found
and water spouts which never reach the ground. There seems, however, to be no explanation for the dragon visits described by
insipient tornadoes
the
five
observers,
of the
unless
it
be
that
strange
of the
monsters
river
dormant
state, or
Two
difficulties at
once present
The
first
difficulty
c g
^5
o 5 ^ o *" o
.-r
z " >
=^
6
o
fl5
&'5
^
O
fi
g
tD
C;
in
^
-
2
tj
-o
? o
-C
PEOPLE
lies in
WHO HAVE
SEEX DRAGOXS
37
coming
existing in the
and strange monsters such as no human beings now living have ever seen, the descendants of the mighty saurians which lived upon the earth long ages ago, and which geologists tell us later
reptiles
As an explanation
notes two
facts.
of
The dragons
Might
it
not have
been that the monsters were in reality not dead but only unconscious, and that the heavy flood washed the creatures back into the river whence
they were carried out to sea
?
CHAPTER
THE DRAGON
The dragon mind alone. It
of
is
SIX
IN \A'E.STERN
MYTHOLOGY
also occupies a prominent place in the legends and literature of most of the countries
Europe.
II, line
I,
Cicero in his
and Homer in the "Hiad" (Book 309) all mention a dragon. The Bible, in twenty-two references in the Old Testament and thirteen instances in the New, refers to the dragon either allegorically or as a real
line 2),
II, line
(Book (Book
animal;
however,
in
is
in
many
of
these
passages,
especially
the
Old
Testament,
the
w^ord
for
"dragon"
an unfortunate rendition,
in
was in
all
probability the
modern
jackal.
The myths and legends of Europe have preserved for us numerous dragon stories with which we are more or less familiar. Among others are the tale of Perseus, who rescued Andromeda from a dragon; the story of St. George and tlie
38
THE DRAGON
IX WT:STERN
MYTHOLOGY
39
of Sigfried,
who
killed a
dawn dispatched
King Arthur, who was spoken of as the "dread Pendragon," is described by Tennyson, in his '* Idylls of the King," as sitting upon a veritable
dragon throne which would vie in splendor with
that of China's
Manchu emperors.
And down his robe the dragon writhed in gold And from the carven work beliind him crept Two dragons gilded, sloping down to make
Arms
to liis chair,
while all
tlie rest of
them
folds
innumerable.
they found
till
lost
themselves."
Italy,
Manycoastand river cities of England, France, and Egypt still proudly recount their local
legends of cruel dragons which were slain, after battles royal, upon near-by rivers or in adjacent
seas.
We may
the
of
read
of
the
of
Green Dragon
of
Mordiford,
Dragon
Norwich,
the Great
Dragon Dragon
Pittempton, the Dragon of Naples, the of Aries, the Dragon of Lyons, the Dragon
Dragon
of the Nile,
and
40
many more.
and
countries.
proudly treasured
cities;
of tlie dragon presents from that of the nations bordering on the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
It
is
but there
attention
we
shall call
its
at
time.
That
is
regarding
keenness
deaf and
of eyesight.
is
explained that
eyes, through
nary power.
away.
His vision
connection
is
one hundred
li
In
this
it is
interesting to recall
word ''dragon" is derived from the Greek "dra^o?i" {hpdKuiv)^ which means "to gaze" or "to see," and the classics more than
that the English
^'
We
English
first
attached
the
name "dragon"
it is
to the
fair to
Chinese conception
the Oriental ruler
"/w7i^," but
of the sea to
hardly
been heard
THE DRAGOX
IX
WKSTEKX MYTHOLOGY
forever disappeared.
41
now
had caused the speakers to confuse the evil monster mentioned in the book of Revelation with the animal so highly revered by the Chinese. The dragon of the Chinese differs from the generally accepted Western idea in three striking particulars: in appearance, in disposition, and in the regard in which it is held. In appearance, the European conception varies but slightly from the creature which was its
probable prototype,
pair of wings.
to a
The Chinese species is developed higher degree. The latter has a more massive
upon the
clouds.
still
greater difference
The
and
it
European dragon
the
is
that
is evil,
enemy
of
man.
law,
as
opposed
sense
St.
it is
to
harmony,
and
progress
and
In this allegorical
St.
George,
and
St.
42
and
nuirtlie
Tlie
Chinese dragon,
on the
its
otlier
hand,
is
antithesis.
to
man.
The
dragons
in the esteem in
which
it
is
held.
The Western species was a horrible, loathesome creature, shunned and dreaded by all mortals, while the Asiatic dragon is held in reverence and even worshiped by the Chinese. This creature
is
one
of the mo.st
A.U
CHAPTER SEVEN
QUAINT BELIEFS ABOUT THE DRAGON
of
and purple in color. If dragon whiskers are mounted upon a crystal handle like a horsehair whip and are placed in a room at night, flies and
mosquitoes will not enter."
We
is
formed
the air
instrument
swished through
will try to
will
make such
dogs, cows,
hide.
If
all
deep
water
swim imme-
diately
to the spot,
is
the dragon,
there."
fire
A
dragon.
strange
body
of the
This
differs
it
from the
fire
with which we
blazes hrightly
If,
when brought
terrestrial
however,
the
flames,
latter
will
immediately be extinguished. As long as the dragon has moisture in the form of water or clouds surrounding its body, it
45
46
retains its
motion and
of
mutability,
the
the blood of
some dragons
is
We
and deer
their
horns.
in
Dragon bones
to
many
do with the determination of feng-shui. Lofty peaks that are frequently tipped with clouds
or enveloped in mist are believed to contain the
much
bones
of
attract to
themis
The
grant of
the
the
is
dragon,
we
are told,
fra-
perfumes.
of
It is said to
be employed in
manufacture
very
valuable incense.
tribute
"Dragon's saliva incense" was formerly sent as a to the emj)eror by one of the western
provinces.
One
the
dragon's posthumous
He
says
that
when
Dragons
minor
47
for
of
oft;
greater oft'enses,
by being sent
to the earth,
where
men
in a state ns
dead.
which dragons are exceedingly fond are bamboo trees, arsenic, and the flesh of
of
Three things
swallows.
bamboo
no human being in sight, delights to lie under their shade and hear the wind rustling Arsenic, which is to mortal the leaves above.
when
there
is
man
fact,
a deadly poison,
it is
is
In
and dragons
grow fat upon it. The delicacy, however, for which the dragon has the greatest fondness, is
swallows' flesh.
to cross a
Woe
of
body
to detect,
person.
The man
in the boat
be pursued by one
rise,
of these animals,
who
will
cause a storm to
the boat will be upset, and the imfortunate person precipitated into the water,
will fall easy prey to the ruler of the sea. ordinary Under conditions the dragon shows no
where he
fondness for
tion
human
flesh,
we
entirely excusable.
48
one
where they hibernate for six months. In fact, the home of dragons is on the floor of the ocean wliere they dwell in beautiful paJaces. At the vernal equinox dragons leave the sea and ascend again into the clouds. Destructive typhoons and
sea
equinoctial
in
the
by the disturbance
man
CHAPTER EIGHT
HOW DRAGONS CONTROL THE FORTUNES
The
surface of the earth
is
OF MEN
believed to be
People
who
build
are
extremely fortunate.
The
made
efforts to
prevent
their subjects from occupying the positions upon Wlien Chao Ming, the such auspicious sites. founder of the Sung dynasty, while still an un-
known young man in reduced financial was forced to move his father's bones, he
straits,
carried
them in a reed bag and buried them by accident upon one of these dragon paths. As a result of this fact, we are told, ^leaven smiled upon him and he himself not long afterward became an
emperor.
Within the past few years, a young Chinese, studying in Japan, committed suicide
on
52
of Rites in
Peking, on hearing of
removed, sending telegram after telegram to the local magistrates to have the coffin disinterred at
once
and
taken
it is
to
another
spot.
Since
the
Revolution,
body has
When Chinese observe the natural phenomenon which in the West is commonly described as "the snn drawing up water," they say that
what
to
is
seen
is
the dragon
sucking
up water
upon one man's field and not upon his neighbor's, or upon one half of a man's farm and not upon the other, one explanation
rain falls
When
which is advanced for this fact is that the line which marks the division of dry and wet land is
directly beneath the
boundary
tlie
One
sees
fit
order rain
when
The
territories controlled
by the
is
"The
Festival
of
the Beginning of
Summer."
to
to
which dragon superstitions have been allowed play a leading part in Chinese life have come
HEX
53
make an
off
outlet
from
tlie
the
much money
effort, lie
what proved to be an unsuccessful jumped into the river and was drowned.
in
The
and the
captured.
Shortly
was
it
carried
in
in
state
where
was placed
the
Chihli province,
other than Li
Hung Chang.
This
later
became prime
is
In the heart of
Wuchang
there
a steep hill
two
This
to
impossible
carry
the
traffic
over
it.
Some
hill to
and
still
others of a
Chili
Some
years ago,
when Chang
Tung was
Hunan
and Hupeh, he caused a tunnel to be cut through the hill so that communication from one business center to the other would be facilitated. Not long after this was completed, the viceroy began to
54
suffer
Chinese and
cure him.
At
last
"I
know
"You have caused he said witliout hesitation. the dragon's haunt to be penetrated. Block up
the tunnel in the hill and you will get well."
The thing was done, the viceroy soon recovered, and faith in the dragon on the part of the people of Wuchang was more firmly established than ever. It might be added that since the Revolution
the
hill
has
again
been opened.
of
Many years ago large iiumbers of the students Hangchow City failed to pass the Chu Jen, or
Examination.
magistrates,
Master of Arts,
puzzled
"face."
fact
the
city
The who
fact
lost
sorely
much
No
living in the
geomancer explained that a dragon mountain range northwest of the city had no room to wag his head, and that a large section of one end of the range must be dug away before Hangchow students would be able to succeed. The geomancer's suggestion was carried out, the dragon was given the chance he desired, and it is needless to say that since that time all has been well.
until a
^.
"'\
'j"hr(ixe
Kang Hsi was the second emperor of tne Manchu dynasty. He ascended the tluone at the age of ci,2;ht and ruled Chin
for over sixty years.
This portrait was once preserved in the imperial galleries of the Manchu rulors.
s
"^
r.
^=
ffi
"5
-^
1
J-,
5 o O
5 ^
2
CO
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to
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ot > C
iz
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rO c ^ ope ^ O ^
>.^
o
>.'= Z 2.
:5
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i* ^
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.ti
=
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3 pj 2 - =3 ^ -; _- ^ j3 o 3
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c.
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u; ^
"
^
J3
cS
5 S - r
CPIAPTER NINE
THE HOLD OF THE DRAGON ON CHINA
The word "dragon"
place in the
occupies a prominent
common
Some
a character
of the
is
deaf).
as ^'dragon's
is
known
is
called the
''dragon's
A common
**dragon's
of its
variety
of
pine
is
known
as
tail pine,''
branches to the
lilies
the dragon.
Amaryllis
certain
and
are
locust tree
called
''dragon's
claw
of the
flowers."
This
is
no doubt on account
shape
58
by the name
of the
''dragon bone.''
Water spouts are known as 'Mangling dragons." The name was probably given them by junkmen and fishermen who considered these to
be the
tails of
Spirited
have
as
"dragon
"dragon-
dispositions."
known
phoenix papers."
Wedding cakes
cakes."
are called
"dragon-phoenix
Arts graduates
The published
list
of
Master
of
A
and
mountains
have
the
character
"dragon"
One
of the largest
Manchuria and one of its three provinces are named Ilei Lung Kiang (Black Dragon River),
because
it is
made its appearance in its waters. One of the most famous mountains of the province of Kiangsi is known as the "DragonTiger Mountain."
is
Perhaps the most popular kind of tea in China the "Dragon's Well Tea." This received its
its
original
home
Dragon Column
This remarkable monolith stands near the entrance to tho famous Ming Tombs, thirty miles north of Peking. A huge dragon, surrounded by clouds, -nraps itself closely about the tall shaft. There are two of these columns at the Ming Tombs, one on either side of tho Spirit Road. The five-clawed dragons symbolize the imperial nature of the extensive cemeterj> where are buried thirteen emperors, each in his massive mausoleum.
*^
^o
o S 3 M c 5
s'
t-
g 5 5
CO S C :* "^ o 5 s
^
iS
"S
2
*^'^
H
a)
?'
ffl
""
fi -rj
^^ O
:
si
:S t^
CO
11^
-:;
to
i
=3
2
S
IS
cs
e O 01 S O > p & o
en
>
.
CO
-g
g c ? to O 2=
g ^
S P
d * -^ 3
*-
C
<u
02.1=
03
D11A(J0N
ON CHINA
Gl
Among the hills of that name. on the farther shores of Hangchow's beautiful West Lake is nestled a monastei-y, on the estate of which is a pool of crystiil-clear Avater. From the depths of this "well" a dragon was once seen to rise. The ''Dragon's Well" is now the name of the monaster}' and also of the surrounding hills. Tea of this name, though it may never have grown near Hangchow, is as liighl}^ prized in distant Szechwan and in other distant parts of China as it is in the capital of Chekiang province.
In the excellent new encyclopedia recently
issued by the Commercial Press, there are no less
to the
dragon.
Fifty-one of
village^^,
twentythe
mountains and
rivers,
and
fifteen
names of flora of various genera. The emperor's most reverential title was " The True Dragon," and in harmony with that idea the word " dragon " in the adjectival sense was used in names of all that had to do with his life and position. As an example of this his
throne was the "dragon's seat," his hands the
"dragon's
claws,"
the
62
Dragon Tablet
tablet,
'
'
to
which was worshiped during the Ching dynasty in every large temple
the
imperial
and monaster}^ in the land, and even in Mohammedan mosques. The inscription on the tablet read as follows: *' To the reigning Emperor. May he live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years." The tablet received its name from the fact that it represented the Emperor, *' The True Dragon," and because it bore at its top a dragon 's head.
One
back
of official robes.
The
squares worn
by
civil
officers
its
corre-
sponding variety
The emperor,
embroidered squares.
The round disk on the Chinese Dragon Flag, which is often pictured before the mouth of the dragon, is explained by some as a pearl, by others as a huge spider metamorphosed into a ball. We
are repeatedly told in fables that dragons
have a
taken in Hangchow in March, 1922. The tablet stands on the altar in the Temple of the Great Buddha, which is situated upon the north edge of the West Lake.
HP;
G5
teasing spiders.
is
A
the
more
disk
theory,
tlie
however,
that
this
represents
tion,
sun.
is
According to
not trying
to
explanatliat
the dragon
devour
to suppose,
it
desires to
become
In referring
fact is
upon
Cliinese military
many
dragon emblem as
It
is
nations
of
among many friends of China, and even among a few Chinese as well,
There
is
a feeling
Dragon Flag
will
very shortly
writer
out the
is
dragon idea.
possible.
This the
believes
im-
yet in
is
relation
the
passed,
little
more than a
upon the
is
The dragon
neither
66
common
with either.
The
idea
itself,
is
distinctly a heritage of
and
as such
it
will prob-
It will survive
Western science
and dominated every seaside village, every mountain hamlet, and every inland city, to the remotest bounds and limits of
has
permeated
6 45
TORONTO LIBRARY