The dragon
The Chinese dragon brings rain and rules the water, and people pray to it.
How to read a dragon
Read rank by claws
In Ming and Qing China, five claws marked the imperial dragon. Officials wore the mang, a dragon-like beast usually drawn with four claws, though some ranks had five.
Find the nine animals
Old writers built the dragon from nine creatures, including deer antlers, a camel head, a snake neck, carp scales and eagle claws.
Look around it
A dragon often chases a flaming pearl, usually read as wisdom or good fortune. Clouds and waves mark its home, the sky and water.
Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger.
Choosing a dragon piece
Ivory and tortoiseshell are illegal to buy and ship in almost every case. Pass on any carved dragon offered in either.
The dragon
Hand-picked pieces are on the way.
Good to know
What does the Chinese dragon symbolize?
It stands for power, good fortune and the rain that feeds crops. In folk religion, dragon kings rule seas and rivers, and farmers once prayed to them during drought.
Are Chinese dragons good or evil?
Mostly good. Unlike the fire-breathing dragons of European stories, Chinese dragons are water spirits that people welcome, though an angry one can bring floods.
Why do some people write loong instead of dragon?
Some Chinese writers use loong to separate the Chinese dragon from the Western monster. The spelling has spread in recent years, but dragon is still the everyday word.
