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2024 is the Year of the Dragon in China. "Dragon" is a symbol of the Chinese nation, which has an unusual meaning in Chinese culture, and is a sacred and auspicious symbol. Chinese people love dragon culture, and in many parts of the world, as long as the "descendants of the dragon" are mentioned, people will associate with China. As a symbol of the Chinese nation, the dragon has long been recognized by Chinese people at home and abroad, and the Year of the Dragon will surely stimulate new vitality in traditional dragon culture. Why are the Chinese "descendants of the dragon"? How did dragons come about? This starts with the totem worship of ancient humans. Ancient humans regarded nature as having gods and prayed to the gods for their protection. A clan or tribe regards a deity as its protector and clan mark, which is the totem. In addition to the images of the natural world, there are also snakes, tigers, wolves and other fierce birds and beasts. The ancients believed that the image of the dragon had the images of antlers, horse heads, rabbit eyes, tiger whiskers, ox ears, snake bodies, lizard legs, eagle claws, fish scales, and fish tails. The dragon has the ability to communicate with heaven, earth and man, and it symbolizes power, honor and auspiciousness. The dragon is the spiritual symbol and cultural symbol of the Chinese nation, and the descendants of Yan and Huang have a natural and common worship of the dragon, and consider themselves to be the descendants of the dragon.
The image and origin of the dragon are said by crocodiles, lizards, snakes, horses, and so on. Mr. Wen Yiduo, a well-known scholar in modern China, has made great achievements in this aspect of research, and he put forward the snake theory in his famous article "Fuxi Kao", which has been widely recognized by the historical circles. Mr. Wen Yiduo believes that after the snake clan of Fuxi annexed other clans, "absorbed many other totemic clans (clans) of all kinds, and the big snake accepted the four legs of beasts, the head of horses, the tail of hyenas, the horns of deer, the claws of dogs, and the scales and whiskers of fish", and became a later dragon. The dragon is the big snake, and the snake is the little dragon. On the basis of Wen Yiduo's research, later generations have made many enrichments and additions.
The word "dragon" is a pictogram. The word "dragon" in the oracle bone inscription is in the shape of a beast's head and a snake's body, and the head is crowned with a symbol of the word "Xin" that represents a knife-like instrument. In oracle bone inscriptions, the symbol "Xin" means "driven". The word "dragon" in the oracle bone inscription indicates that this is a kind of power that is dominated and driven, and it is the heavens that dominate and drive it, and it is the highest deity in the minds of the ancients. Interestingly, in ancient myths and legends, dragons are indeed driven by people, such as Ying Long, who helped Dayu control the water. What does the sky drive the dragon to do, it is naturally the "clouds and rain" that the ancients longed for. Therefore, the word "dragon" in the oracle bone inscription represents such a concept: first, it is driven by the heavens; Second, its sound is rumbling; Third, it is in the form of lightning, with a head like a beast, and a body like a snake, hidden in the clouds; Fourth, its tool is clouds; Fifth, its function is to receive the will of heaven and sow rainwater. The ancient people portrayed the dragon in this way, which means that people are both afraid of it and inseparable from it, and they are in awe of it. The oracle bone inscription uses the image of a beast and a snake to describe the dragon, indicating that it is a mysterious and auspicious thing with great power and awe-inspiring worship that represents the will of the heavens. According to "Shuo Wen Jie Zi", "Dragon, the long of the insect, can be dark and bright, can be huge and thin, can be short and long, ascend to the sky at the spring equinox, and dive into the abyss at the autumn equinox." ”
The dragon ranks fifth in the 12 zodiac signs, and matches the 12 earthly branches, so it is called the Chenlong. Of the 12 zodiac signs, the dragon is the only virtual and comprehensive deity animal and the only animal that does not exist in real life.
The reason why the dragon is revered by the descendants of Yan and Huang is because it has a close relationship with the formation process of Chinese civilization. As we all know, before the Yellow Emperor, the first emperor of the "Five Emperors", there was a reign of 120 years, 8 generations, a total of more than 530 years of the "Shennong Clan" period. Emperor Yan's "Shennong's family, Jiang's surname is also", which is his mother's "You Huayang, with the head of the dragon, and the birth of Emperor Yan" (according to the record of "The Imperial Century" quoted in the ninth volume of the "Beginner's Record"). And Emperor Yan Shennong's family looks "big and bullish, dragon face and big lips". After the Yandi Shennong clan and the Yellow Emperor tribe formed the Yanhuang tribal alliance, the Yandi Shennong clan, as the dragon's son, profoundly affected the civilization process of the Yanhuang tribal alliance. During the "Five Emperors" period, the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Xuan, Emperor Yu, Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun, Emperor Yu, etc., all had such and such entanglements with the dragon. According to the record of "Erya Wing": "The horns are like a deer, the head is like a camel, the eyes are like a rabbit, the neck is like a snake, the belly is like a mirage, the scales are like a fish, the claws are like an eagle, the palms are like a tiger, and the ears are like a cow." According to the record of "Lunheng": "The secular painting of the dragon image, the body of a horse and a snake". "Guangya" records: There are four kinds of dragons: Jiaolong, Yinglong, Qiulong, and Dragon. The shape of the dragon combines the agility of a snake, the sharpness of an eagle, the elegance of a deer, and the freedom of a fish to form a creature that is both powerful and beautiful. Its body is meandering, as if it contains endless strength and wisdom; Its scales shone like stars in the night sky. Such an image not only makes people feel shocked and awe-inspired, but also makes people yearn for and pursue. The worship of dragons by the ancients stemmed from the reverence for nature and the pursuit of mystical powers. In their view, the dragon is the god who rules over all things in heaven and earth, and has the ability to call the wind and rain, and turn the river and the sea. As a result, the dragon is considered a symbol of supremacy in traditional Chinese culture, representing power, majesty, and sacred and auspicious significance. "Dragon" has the performance of a variety of animals, such as tiger whiskers and hyenas, long as a snake, scaly like a fish, horned like a deer, claws like an eagle, can walk, can fly, can be big and small, can hide and appear, can turn over the river and the sea, swallow the wind and spit out fog, and raise clouds and rain. Therefore, the dragon has also been endowed with more sacred and auspicious significance, whether it is a solemn sacrificial ceremony or a delicate dragon pattern, it embodies people's yearning for a better life and the awe of the mysterious power, and has become a symbol of the spirit of the entire Chinese nation.
The culture, folk customs and images of dragons can be seen everywhere in Chinese folk, such as the dragon lantern dance during the Chinese New Year in the south and the dragon boat race during the Dragon Boat Festival. In all Chinatowns, whether in the East or in the West, there must be dragons on the archways or buildings. "The dragon has nothing to do with imperial power, it has long been a mythical image or a folk belief. Chinese folk believe that the dragon is the god of rain, so every drought year, the folk pray for rain and pray for abundance are to enter the dragon king temple and worship the old dragon king. The dragon is associated with "abundant crops and abundant life", and even in ordinary years, people worship the dragon king, which means praying for blessings and disasters and looking forward to a good year. The feudal emperor wanted to borrow the dragon's might, a piece of paper to show that the 'dragon' was accepted for the royal use, the emperor was born called 'dragon birthday', when he was not enthroned, he was called 'dragon dive', after ascending the throne, he was called 'dragon fly', the establishment of the royal industry was called 'dragon xing', and the descendants were called 'dragon species'. It's a pity that the beauty of the world can't be exclusive to a family, and the dragon will not be trapped within the palace walls after all, and its image and story have long taken root among the people. In people's daily life, there are dragons everywhere: noodles have 'dragon whisker noodles', sugar has 'dragon whisker crisp', fruits have 'dragon eyes', and medicinal materials have 'dragon bones';When you go to Beijing, you have to climb the dragon-shaped Great Wall, when you go to Jiangxi, you have to climb Longhu Mountain, and when you go to Shanxi, you have to see the Nine Dragon Wall; We describe the terrain as dangerous, called 'dragon and tiger', energetic, called 'living dragon and tiger', auspicious and festive, called 'dragon and phoenix Chengxiang', described high-spirited and enterprising, called 'dragon and horse spirit' It is precisely because the dragon is a beast and a symbol of dignity and auspiciousness that it is so deeply loved by the people of our country. For thousands of years, the dragon has penetrated into all aspects of Chinese society and our lives, and has become a kind of national cultural cohesion and accumulation. The dragon has become a symbol of China, a symbol of the Chinese nation, and a symbol of Chinese culture. For every descendant of Yan and Huang, the image of the dragon is a symbol, a spirit, and an emotion connected with flesh and blood! The titles of "descendants of the dragon" and "descendants of the dragon" often make us excited, excited, and proud. In addition to spreading and inheriting the dragon culture in the land of China, it has also been brought to the world by the Chinese who have traveled overseas, and the most and most eye-catching ornaments are still dragons in Chinese residential areas or Chinese towns around the world. Therefore, "the descendants of the dragon" and "the country of the dragon" have also been recognized by the world, which is our pride!
The dragon is also associated with many beautiful meanings and cultural phenomena in traditional Chinese concepts. For example, "Finishing Touch", "Dragon and Tiger Leap", "Dragon Pan Tiger Standing", "Dragon and Horse Spirit", "Dragon Flying and Phoenix Dance", "Dragon and Phoenix Chengxiang", "Dragon Face and Phoenix Posture", "Longtan Tiger's Den", "Dragon Walking Tiger Change", "Dragon Tower and Phoenix Que", "Hidden Dragon and Crouching Tiger", "Living Dragon and Living Tiger", "Descending Dragon and Subduing Tiger", "Two Dragons Playing with Pearls", "Carving Dragons and Painting Phoenixes", "Mixed Fish and Dragons", "Fish Leaping Dragon Gate", "Old Dragon Clock", "Busy Traffic", "Wishing for Jackie Chan" and so on. Although these idioms and allusions are simple in language, they have profound meanings, and they are all the embodiment of people's worship and good wishes for dragons.
The poems about the dragon are: Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty "Gift to Zhang Gongcao on the 15th Night of August" poem: "Dongting is suspicious of the sky, and the dragon haunts the scarlet." Tang Dynasty Mengjiao "Tour to the End of the South Longchi Temple" poem: "The dragon is long in the water, and the rain opens the mountain more fresh." Tang Dynasty Li Bai's poem "Accompanying Song Zhongcheng Wuchang to Drink Nostalgia at Night": "The dragon flute sings the cold water, and the heavenly river falls into the frost." Tang Dynasty Li Shangyin's poem "Heavy Feeling": "How can there be a dragon that is sad about losing water, and there is no eagle falcon and high autumn." "Tang Dynasty Du Fu's "Four Quatrains" poem: "Qingxi first has Jiaolong Cave, bamboo and stone like a mountain dare not be safe." "Song Dynasty Xin Qiji's poem "Qingyu Case Yuan Xi": "The sound of the phoenix flute moves, the light of the jade pot turns, and the fish and dragon dance all night." "On the occasion of the Year of the Dragon, chanting a few dragon poems has a unique charm.
Famous paintings about dragons include: "Divine Dragon" by the famous painter Songsuo of the Northern Song Dynasty, "Dragon and Tiger" by Chen Rong, a famous painting of the Southern Song Dynasty, "Qijiao" by the Ming Dynasty painter Wang Zhao, "Fairy Riding the Dragon" by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, "Cloud Dragon" by the famous modern painter Qi Baishi, "Zodiac Dragon" by the famous modern painter Xu Beihong, "Floating Cloud Dragon" by the famous modern painter Zhang Daqian, etc.
The dragon has an unusual meaning in Chinese culture, as a sacred and auspicious symbol. Therefore, the spirit of the dragon has become a symbol of the spirit of the Chinese nation. It represents bravery, wisdom, unity and enterprising, striving for progress, and these qualities are fully reflected in the legend of the dragon. Whether it is the finishing touch of the Fuxi clan or the compassion of the dragon king, it shows the noble spirit and great qualities of the dragon. These spiritual qualities also inspire the sons and daughters of China to continue to move forward and strive for national rejuvenation, let us work hand in hand to create a better tomorrow! "The Year of the Dragon" is not only a discussion of the mythical creature of the dragon, but also an in-depth interpretation and reflection on the important symbol of the dragon in traditional Chinese culture.
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