In Binyang County, Nanning City, Guangxi, people are waiting for the dancing dragon. Xinhua News Agency.
The golden dragon presents pearls and is made in Xing'an.
In Hangzhou's Xixi National Wetland Park, villagers row dragon boats at the Jiangcun Dragon Boat Championship, a national intangible cultural heritage. Xinhua News Agency.
Take off to the cloudy sky, the clouds and rain, like thunder and lightning; Hibernation can go down to the vast sea, hide and hide, and the water waves are not prosperous. What kind of artifact is this? Tatsuya!
The mountain is not high, and there is a fairy name; The water is not deep, and if there is a dragon, it will be spiritual. The dragon, omnipotent in the spiritual world of the ancients, was regarded as a symbol of authority, dignity and auspiciousness. For thousands of years, the Chinese nation has accumulated a rich dragon culture. The year 2024 is the dragon, the year of the dragon is coming, the dragon soars and the tiger leaps, and the dragon travels the world, bringing the high-spirited spirit of the dragon and horse and the good wishes of the dragon and phoenix!
Descendants of the Dragon. There was a dragon in the ancient East, and its name was China.
There was a group of people in the ancient East, and they were all descendants of dragons.
I grew up under the feet of the dragon, and when I grew up, I was the descendant of the dragon.
Black eyes, black hair, yellow **, forever and forever the descendant of the dragon.
I have heard this song "Descendants of the Dragon" countless times, and every time I hear it, my blood is still in my veins. China is the land of dragons, and we are the descendants of dragons!
The dragon is the heart and soul of China!
The dragon is the original totem of the Chinese nation and a sacred existence in the eyes of the Chinese.
Emperor Fu Mi of the Western Jin Dynasty wrote in "The Imperial Century" that Emperor Yan's "mother is called Ren Xi, and there is a Jiao daughter, who is a young concubine." You Huayang, there is a dragon head, and he is inspired by Emperor Yan. The human body is the head of a cow, longer than ginger water, and has holy virtues, and is the king of fire, so he is called Emperor Yan". Shaodian is the son of Fuxi and Nuwa, and Nudeng is Shaodian's concubine. When she went to Huayang to play, she suddenly saw an auspicious cloud floating in the sky, and it was a dragon up close. Shenlong accompanied the female Deng to amuse, and the female Deng was pregnant and gave birth to a child named Yu Gang. He was not an ordinary child, he was born to speak for three days, walk for five days, grow his teeth in seven days, and at the age of five he was fond of recognizing plants. This is the Yan Emperor of the Shennong clan who later became a household name because of his taste of herbs. Since Emperor Yan of the Shennong clan was born from his mother and the divine dragon, then of course he was the first descendant of the dragon.
Since then, almost all the early leaders of the Chinese nation who have made achievements have a close relationship with the dragon. The same is true of the Yellow Emperor, who allied himself with Emperor Yan and ruled the world. "Yi Zhi Xia" and "Historical Records of the Five Emperors" all cite historical records that the Yellow Emperor "has holy virtues in the face of the dragon" and "Ling Yinglong attacks Chiyou" won a great victory. When he passed away, "a dragon hung down his beard and beard to welcome the Yellow Emperor."
Society is progressing, culture is accumulating, and myths and legends are constantly enriched and complete in the evolution of the years. With Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang becoming a distant time, Emperor Yaoguang brought the tribe into the threshold of the country. Such an outstanding person who has made a difference, of course, will not be left out of the dragon family.
Legend has it that Emperor Yao's mother, Qingdu, was very fond of playing. One day when I was on a wild trip, a whirlwind suddenly blew, and a "red dragon" with a red body danced in the wind and flew in front of me. The people in the vicinity were shocked and fled in a hurry. Only Qingdu was calm and smiling**. The red dragon is warm and affectionate, close to Qingdu, and dances with her. After a while, the red dragon flew away leisurely, and Qingdu found a picture of a portrait on the grass beside him, and the person had colorful eyebrows and long hair. On one side of the picture is also written the words "Red Fortune of Heaven". Keedu picked up the painting and took it home. Not long after, she became pregnant and gave birth to a fat doll 14 months later. Qingdu took out the picture and compared it, and found that his son's appearance was exactly the same as the person in the picture.
This legend is not a source of water, the record in the "Spring and Autumn Hecheng Map" tells the origin of Di Yao's fantasy:
Yao's mother Qingdu, famous in the world, is the daughter of the Emperor. Born in the wilderness of Douwei, often in the southeast of the three rivers. The sky is thunder and lightning, there is blood flowing among the boulders, and the birthday is celebrated. Growing up as an emperor, he is often covered by yellow clouds, and he is not hungry. Twenty years old, the eldest widow of Yi, no husband, out of the head of the three rivers, often if there is a god to follow. There is a red dragon negative picture, Qingdu reads it, "red by the heavens", there is a picture of people dressed red, glossy and colorful, the beard is seven feet two inches long, with the abundance of the bottom, and the feet and wings. He said: "From the Red Emperor, he became a treasure of heaven." "That is, the field of the wings of Qingdu, dying of wind and rain, the red dragon and Qingdu are married, there is pregnancy, and the dragon disappears. And Ru Yao. Both milk, depending on Yao as a chart. And Yao has knowledge, and Qingdu is trying to give Yao.
The records in the text are exactly the same as folk legends, and it is naturally impossible to distinguish whether someone read and spread the stories in the classics, or whether the author obtained writing materials from the folk. What can be understood from this is that from Emperor Yan to Emperor Huangdi, and then to Emperor Yao, they all have a constant love affair with the dragon. The descendants of Yan and Huang, the descendants of Yao Shun, are the descendants of the dragon.
What is a dragon? In the Chinese zodiac, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig are all real animals in the real world, but the dragon is not real, but fictional, which can be called a combination of various animals. What animals are dragons made of? The data show that it is: bull's head, antlers, horse's hair, snake body, fish tail, eagle claws. The fathers and villagers of our village summed it up more concisely and smoothly: "The head of the ox, the face of the horse, the body of the snake, the chicken claws, the scales and the tail of the shrimp." Although there are differences between the father's statement and the information, the subject is completely consistent, and they all believe that it is a snake. Why should the snake be set as the main body of the dragon? In the eyes of the ancients, snakes were very wonderful animals. Ordinary animals rely on legs and feet to walk, but the snake has no legs or feet, but it moves very fast, and when it is fast, it can throw away its pursuers, as if it can fly. People put their magical and changeable wishes on the snake, so they use the snake as the main body to expand their imagination, and there is a dragon as an omnipotent magical spiritual creature.
The Chinese civilization is pluralistic and unified, and the stars are shining. Judging from the archaeological discoveries, as early as around 6,000 years ago, the Xishuipo site in Puyang County, Puyang City, Henan Province had the shape of a dragon. The dragon is made of mussel shells, with its head bowed, its front paws shoeed, its hind legs kicked, and its tail swinging, which archaeologists describe as a flying dragon swimming in the sea. The Central Plains is making dragons, the Northeast is also making dragons, more than 5,000 years ago in Liaoning Niuheliang Hongshan Cultural Site, unearthed a "pig dragon". The appearance of the pigeon is very different from that of the mussel dragon, and it is carved from jade, also known as the jade pig dragon. At that time, it was really impressive to be able to make jade so beautifully.
* Archaeological discoveries of the history of dragon-making, found that the Loess Plateau on the Jinnan is not absent, Shanxi Linfen Tao Temple site excavated around 4,300 years ago Longpan. In the 2.8 million square meter city site, there are four large tombs that have been excavated with similar shapes. The dragon on the dragon plate is coiled like a snake, the scales are like crocodiles, more ears than snakes, and the mouth is like the branches of Jiahe, which is obviously a combination of a variety of animals. The archaeological community believes that the Taosi dragon is the original prototype of the Chinese dragon, and the image of today's dragon is due to the evolution and perfection of the dragon. There are many tombs at the Taosi site, and the archaeological team has excavated 1,309 of them, and only 4 large tombs have been unearthed. These large tombs are quite large in size and rich in burial goods, and it is inferred that the owner of the tomb should be the "chief" or "king" at that time. The dragon pan is supposed to be the embodiment of the early ritual system.
The artist contrasted the Taosi dragon with the popular image of the dragon today, and found that "painting a snake is a dragon". The main body of the Taosi dragon is a snake, but it is not a single snake, and the scaly markings of a crocodile have been added to its body. To the further fullness of the Taosi dragon, add the foot, add the horns, add the whiskers, add the tail ......It was synthesized into today's dragons.
Dragons are a combination of animals, birds, aquatic animals and reptiles. From the primitive prototype of the Taosi dragon to the Chinese dragon, it condenses the lofty ambitions and beautiful visions of the Chinese people.
Beliefs and totems.
The formation of the dragon has been going on for a long time, and the dragon culture has also been deep for a long time, and it has long been integrated into the blood of the Chinese people and has become the spiritual soul.
In ancient China, the dragon was a symbol of imperial power, and the Son of Heaven, represented by the emperor, was regarded as the embodiment of the true dragon Son of Heaven. The image of the dragon was widely used in royal coats of arms, clothing, and architecture. In the Forbidden City, a large number of dragons were used in the decoration of buildings to highlight the dominance and beliefs of the royal family, and the image of dragons can be seen in watercolor paintings, skirts, eaves, gold pillars, walls, leather stove covers, etc.
The image of the dragon has a special place in ancient Chinese culture. The dragon is seen as a symbol of mystical and supernatural powers, as well as a symbol of auspiciousness. In the era of agricultural civilization, the people needed good weather and abundant crops to live a good life. The dragon is entrusted by the sons and daughters of China with the ability to call for wind and rain and rain and rain down. How can the dragon know the people's hearts, follow the people's will, and rain in time? In case of drought, people pray for rainfall. Pray for a place to be needed, and the Dragon King Temple was built. The territory of Shenzhou is vast, and the Dragon King Temple can be seen almost everywhere. There is little rain and more drought in the north, and the Dragon King Temple is naturally commonplace. However, there is no shortage of rain in the south, and the Dragon King Temple is also all over the city and countryside, especially on the shores of rivers and lakes, which are dotted with stars. Why is that? The reason is that in folk beliefs, the dragon can not only follow the people's wishes and timely rainfall and eliminate drought, but also know the people's will to calm the wind and waves and eliminate floods. If it rains, it will not be too much, and it will not become a disaster; If you go out to sea, you can ensure that the wind and waves are calm and safe. As the couplet of the Dragon King Temple writes:
The sea that is injected into the Yangtze River is called a god who can make clouds and rain.
The wind and rain are smooth, the country is safe, and the Haiyan River is peaceful.
Everywhere needs the blessing of the dragon, everyone is eager for the dragon to care, it seems that the dragon is afraid that the dragon will be busy, and the folklore simply has a dragon to give birth to nine sons, so that they can step their father's will and solve the people's worries. Li Dongyang, a Ming scholar, wrote "Huailu Tang Collection", which recorded in detail the hobbies and functions of the nine dragons: mocking the wind, liking adventure, being able to deter demons and eliminate disasters, and guarding the eaves of the main hall of the house; Kiss, born to love to swallow, and love to look around, sitting on both sides of the roof, always able to look far ahead, expelling ghosts; Fierce, with a tiger-like face, he has the advantage of deciding lawsuits, guarding prisons and civilian houses. The town guard prison is located on the lintel, and the town guard house is inlaid on the door close. The residences of the commoners, the temples of sacrifice, and the royal palaces are all guarded by dragons day and night.
The other six dragons are the talismans of the people: Pu Lao, who loves to roar the most and is difficult to shut up, is placed in the clock to report the time; Prison cow, like **, carved on the head of the huqin to enjoy listening; Foxy, shaped like a lion, often squatting and becoming a mount under the crotch of the Buddha; Baxia, also called a stump, looks like a turtle, is as powerful as an ox, and acts as a strong man carrying a stone tablet; Negative, mild-mannered, with an elegant demeanor, coiled over the head of the stele; The eyes are like horned wolves, with angry eyes, two horns back, close to the back, good for fighting, depicted on the hilt of the sword scabbard.
Dragon in Chinese.
Dragons, with vast magical powers, can bless the world with food, clothing, and peace, and are of course the embodiment of good luck. As a result, "dragon" is deeply embedded in Chinese words, not to mention that there are many people with "dragon" in their names, and "dragon" also frequently appears in Chinese place names. Yantai has Longkou City, Xiangxi has Longshan County, Huizhou has Longmen County, Yanbian has Longjing City, Ganzhou has Longnan City, Qiqihar has Longjiang County, and so on. Among the districts under the jurisdiction of the city are Longshan District, Long'an District, Longhua District, Longwen District, Longgang District, Longquanyi District, etc., which are also countless. There are more villages with dragon characters in their names, and Zhengzhou alone has: Longwang Village, Longtou Village, Longgang Village, Longquan Village, Wolong Village, Wulong Village, Jiulong Village, Nanlong Village, Longtan Village, Longhu Village, Longfeng Village, Huanglonggang Village, Longwangmiao Village, Longtougou Village, Longweigou Village, Wulongkou Village, ......
The dragon and the phoenix, the unicorn and the xuanwu are the four auspicious spirits in the minds of the Chinese. "Dragon and phoenix among people" is used to refer to the best in the crowd, the heroes among the people. Confucius paid homage to Lao Tzu and said to his protégé: "I see Lao Tzu today, and he is like a dragon and evil!" In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Cao Cao boiled wine and talked about heroes: "The dragon is a thing, comparable to the hero of the world." "Hoping that a son will become a dragon and a daughter will become a phoenix is the expectation rooted in the hearts of Chinese parents. Many beautiful visions, mostly with "dragons" and "phoenixes". The dragon and phoenix are auspicious, the dragon is a rui beast, and the phoenix is a spirit bird, and it is very rare to appear at the same time, symbolizing auspicious and beautiful blessings.
There are also many idioms related to dragons in the Chinese language. The tiger is on the dragon plate, squatting like a tiger, coiling like a dragon, describing the terrain as dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack; The dragon walks and walks with a tiger, describing the walking posture as mighty as a dragon and as vigorous as a tiger; The dragon is alive and vigorous, and the demeanor is as lively and sensitive as the dragon and the tiger; The traffic is busy, the car is like flowing water, the horse is like a dragon, and it is very lively; The pen walks the dragon and snake, the writing is chic, and the cursive is picturesque; The dragon flying and the phoenix dance, originally described the mountain winding and majestic, and later also described the calligraphy gesture as powerful and flexible.
Idioms are associated with allegorical allusions.
Ye Gong is a good dragon - During the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a county order in the Ye Land of Chu State, known as Ye Gong. Ye Gong is very fond of dragons, dragons are painted on the inside and outside walls, dragons are carved on beams, pillars, doors and windows, and dragons are embroidered on the crown of clothes. Tianlong was extremely moved when he heard this, and specially patronized the courtyard to visit Ye Gong. Unexpectedly, when Ye Gong saw the dragon, he was so frightened that he trembled. The fable of "Ye Gong is a good dragon" is so sharp, with the help of the dragon to tear the mask of inconsistency between words and deeds to shreds.
Finishing touch - There was a famous painter in the Liang Dynasty, Zhang Seng Xuan, who painted four golden dragons on the temple wall according to the request of Emperor Wu of Liang. Everyone looked at each other from a distance and praised each other, but when they looked closely, they were puzzled, why did every dragon have no eyes? Someone accused, and Zhang replied: "If you point your eyes, the dragon will fly away." The listener laughed dumbly, thinking that he was a god of nonsense. In order to dispel everyone's misunderstanding, Zhang Seng had no choice but to draw the dragon's eyes with a pen. As soon as he finished ordering one, the dragon broke through the wall and flew into the sky. Look at how superb Zhang Sengqiu's painting skills are! Since then, the finishing touch has become a very high goal pursued by literature and art.
Finally, let's focus on the "Ryoma Spirit". Coupling the dragon and the horse together, it was really a powerful combination in the depths of the hearts of the ancients. Horses gallop like flying, in the era of agricultural civilization with the fastest speed, to realize the ancients' wishes of a thousand miles a day. The "dragon and horse spirit" formed by fusing the omnipotent dragon and the lightning-like galloping horse into one is really the spiritual image of the Chinese ancestors. "Ci Hai" contains Kong Yingda's quotation: "The Fuxi clan has the world, and the dragon and horse negative picture comes from the river." Li Bai wrote in the poem "White Horse Chapter": "Dragon horse flower snow hair, golden saddle Wuling Hao." When it came to Li Ying's pen, the word dragon horse spirit appeared: "The four dynasties worry about the country and the temples are like silk, and the dragon horse spirit is like a crane." ”
In the classical masterpiece "Journey to the West", the author Wu Chengen imagined a fictional white dragon horse. The white dragon horse was originally a dragon, the third prince of the Dragon King of the West Sea. Because he was humiliated, he was angry at the crown, made a mistake, and was punished to become a white horse, and became the mount of Tang Sanzang's westward journey to learn scriptures. In the experience-learning team, the white dragon horse is unknown, hard-working, and learns lessons and becomes the most able to endure humiliation. encountered embarrassment, Zhu Bajie wanted to sell it, and it dealt with it calmly; In the face of a fierce battle, Monk Sha waved his wand to show his skills, but it still stood still. It seems that the white dragon horse has no blood and will no longer be angry. However, at the most critical juncture of the thirtieth episode, Tang Seng was turned into a tiger spirit, "Senior Brother has been gone for a long time, and Bajie and Sha Seng have no news", it jumped up and said: "If I don't save Tang Seng today, this work will be over!" It suddenly broke the reins, shook the saddle bridle, jumped quickly, hurriedly manifested, turned into a dragon, and went to save **. Ordinary days are down-to-earth, and the true character of heroes is shown in times of crisis, and the urgency of people is urgent, and the danger of saving people is full of vitality and hard work, which is the image interpretation of the spirit of Ryoma.
The dragon in the I Ching.
Philosophy is the study of wisdom, and the Book of Changes is an ancient Chinese philosophy. The dragon culture is deep and long, so it will naturally not be absent in the "Book of Changes", and it appears in the Qiangua of "Tianxingjian, the gentleman strives for self-improvement". It contains the understanding of the Chinese ancestors on nature, society and life.
In the Book of Changes, the six lines related to the dragon, the first nine lines are "don't use the hidden dragon". The latent dragon is a dragon that hides hidden below the ground level and the water level. Just as a person's knowledge and talents are not rich enough, they must continue to accumulate energy and enrich themselves. If you rush to achieve success at this time, not only will you not be able to achieve great things, but it may also backfire. Affecting one's reputation is a small matter, but affecting future development is a big thing. Therefore, only when "sitting on the bench for ten years is cold" will "the article not write a sentence".
Ninety-two is "see the dragon in the field, and see the lord". The dragon lurking under the ground level and the horizontal plane has accumulated a certain amount of energy and began to emerge, which is conducive to the people of great virtue to come out and manage things. Maxima will be worth a hundred times when he meets Bole, and the hidden "dragon" must first learn the true skills from people with dragon virtue.
Ninety-three and ninety-four, although they do not appear in the dragon character, are still interpretations of dragon behavior. Jiusanyao is "dry all day long, vigilant at night, and no blame". Dry, self-improvement, hard work; Be cautious and not careless. Day and night, it is really the most moderate control of life's behavior. Be bold and not rigid and self-serving, be cautious and not shrink your hands and feet, and combine rigidity and softness, so as to be "blameless". Great, dangerous; Blame, disaster. There is no blame, there is danger but no disaster, what a proper certainty! This is just like what "Yao Jie" said: "Trembling, every day." People do not trample on the mountain, but on the wall. "Only by acting cautiously every day, walking on thin ice, and becoming more and more cautious every day, can we always be invincible.
Ninety-four is "or jump in the abyss, no blame". Dragons, whether jumping into the sky or lurking in the abyss, cannot rely only on subjective conjecture, but must determine the advance and retreat according to the changes in the external situation, so as not to make mistakes.
The ninety-five yao is "the flying dragon is in the sky, and it is beneficial to see the adult". The flying dragon is in the sky, "the sky is high and the birds are flying, and the sea is wide and the fish jumps", which is the stage of life when you are responsible for big things and do great things, and it is also the stage of brilliant and dazzling life. To borrow the famous sentence of the Tang poem "Golden Silk Clothes", it should be "There are flowers that can be folded straight and must be folded, and there are no flowers and empty branches". However, when the spring breeze is proud, don't get carried away, you must look to the next level-
Shangjiuyao is "Kanglong has regrets", which is a warning, even if a person has great achievements, do not be arrogant. "Flying Dragon in the Sky" is the high-end of life, the pinnacle of career, there are achievements, there are achievements, but don't get carried away. It is necessary to understand the law that the extremes of things must be reversed, and to understand that "infinite scenery is in the dangerous peak", and behind the dangerous peak is a deep ravine. We must be sober-minded, be prepared for danger in times of peace, and act moderately, so that there will be more room for future development to continue to climb.
The dragon culture that permeates the Book of Changes is the great philosophy and wisdom of life. It does not talk about personal development and achievements in isolation, but puts the individual in the social environment to recognize and examine. Dragon, the invisible dragon that returns to the spirit, navigates life all the time.
Dragons walk the world. The land of China is the homeland of the dragon, and the sons and daughters of China are the descendants of the dragon. In the song "Great China", it is sung: "We all have a home, and the name is China ......."There are two dragons coiled in the house, the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. "In addition to these two natural dragons, there is also an artificial dragon that travels through the land, which is the world-famous Great Wall.
Chinese worship dragons, worship dragons, paint dragon totems, build nine dragon walls, and even the towering Huabiao is carved with a flying dragon that soars through the clouds and hovers into the sky. This is not enough, every festival, people will show their housekeeping skills, express their excitement, create a festive atmosphere - running bamboo horses, rowing boats, lion playing, and the most eye-catching performance is the dragon lantern dance.
The custom of dragon lantern dance spreads all over the north and south of the river, all over the city and village, even the remote mountain villa nest shop is not willing to be left behind. The New Year has not yet arrived, and the ingenious and enthusiastic people have long gathered together to prepare materials and make dragon lanterns. First, the dragon body is surrounded by bamboo knots that are more than ten meters or even tens of meters long, decorated with colored silk on the outside, and lit candles inside (LED lights are installed nowadays). When the night covers the earth, the sound of gongs and drums sounds, and a group of young people who are alive and well, holding high the shining long dragon and flying onto the field, sometimes walking through the ground, as if "seeing the dragon in the field"; From time to time, the head of the dragon is raised, like "flying dragon in the sky". The demeanor of the dragon and the sky is vividly displayed, and the wish to subdue the dragon and the tiger is expressed.
In southern China, there is a custom of dragon boat racing. Every Dragon Boat Festival, the descendants in their prime will beat drums, row oars, and swing the wooden boats that usually move slowly like arrows and lightning to rush forward. No, it's not a wooden boat, it's called a dragon boat. In fact, the dragon boat is also a wooden boat, but the bow of the boat is decorated with a dragon head, and the stern is decorated with a dragon tail, and the wooden boat is transformed into elegance, containing the ambition of all living beings like dragons and tigers. At the same time, the dragon boat race expresses a salute to Qu Yuan, full of strong patriotic passion.
In the area of Jinhua, Zhejiang, there is a unique bench dragon, the dragon head, the dragon body, from the beginning to the end, are combined with the bench dress. There are no less than 80 benches, and more than 100 benches. The bench is connected to each other by a stick, and when the performer picks up the stick, the dragon rises off the ground. Each bench is decorated with lanterns decorated with your favorite patterns. The patterns include flowers and plants, trees, birds and beasts; The forms include painting, paper-cutting, carving, and sculpture. It's really a hundred flowers, each showing different skills. Therefore, although there are many benches and lanterns, each lantern is by no means the same. During the celebration of the New Year, a number of dragons from multiple villages gather together, each showing its own style and its own merits, just like an exposition of many types of art.
At night, lanterns are lit and a long bench dragon walks across the field, like a giant dragon. If you walk on a mountain trail, it looks more like hovering in the sky, and each dragon is showing its grandeur. Recently, the exquisite lanterns show exquisite skills. The bench dragon externalized the dragon culture and dragon philosophy of combining rigidity and softness. This is a demonstration of passion and reason, this is the art of entertainment and edification. The dragon dancer reaps satisfaction, and the ** person cultivates his heart. As a result, the performers were all excited, the gongs and drums beat earth-shatteringly, and the dragons danced into the sky.
Let's make the gongs and drums louder!
Dance and make the dragon even higher!
The dragon is coming, the flying dragon is in the sky, the dragon travels the world, and the grand wish of the Chinese children is drawn out and danced!
Author: Qiao Zhongyan, Honorary President of Shanxi Prose Literature Association).