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THE CHINESE DRAGON
THE CHINESE DRAGON or Lóng in Mandarin Chinese is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental dragon in the West. Many Chinese people often use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" as a sign of ethnic identity.The dragon is sometimes used in the West as a national emblem of China. Firstly, the dragon was the sign of the Emperor of China, and was on the national flag of the late Qing Dynasty. These monarchist connotations run counter to modern Chinese ideologies. Secondly, the dragon has aggressive, warlike connotations which the Chinese government wishes to avoid. A number of Chinese proverbs and idioms also feature references to the dragon. Chinese dragons are strongly associated with water in popular belief. There are four major Dragon Kings, representing each of the four seas: the East Sea (corresponding to the East China Sea), the South Sea (corresponding to the South China Sea), the West Sea (sometimes seen as the Indian Ocean and beyond), and the North Sea (sometimes seen as Lake Baikal).
In premodern times, many Chinese villages had temples dedicated to their local "dragon king". The King of Wu-Yue in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period was often known as the "Dragon King" or the "Sea Dragon King" because of his extensive hydro-engineering schemes which "tamed" the seas. The dragon, especially yellow or golden dragons with five claws on each foot, was a symbol for the emperor in many Chinese dynasties. The imperial throne was called the Dragon Throne. During the late Qing Dynasty, the dragon was even adopted as the national flag. It was a capital offense for commoners to wear clothes with a dragon symbol. In some Chinese legends, an Emperor might be born with a birthmark in the shape of a dragon.
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