When looking at Chinese culture for kids, you will see a lot of it is centered on dragons. This is because the dragon is deeply rooted in the Chinese culture for kids. The first known appearance of the dragon was on turtle shells from a tribal totem, dating back to the Yin and Shang dynasty. Then it was emblazed on to the national flag during the Qing dynasty, which was 1644 – 1911 A.D.
Dragons, as the sons of heaven and the rainfall governors, were symbolized as good fortune, nobility and royalty. They possessed great powers because they were allowed to control the rain and floods. That is why the dragon was a symbol of the natural world.Wang Fu did the first known detailed recording of the anatomy of the Chinese dragon. Wang Fu was from the Han Dynasty, 206 B.C. – 220 A.D. According to Wang Fu, there are nine different and complex characteristics of the dragon. The nine characteristics that were described by Wang Fu is a camel’s head, demon eyes, cow ears, deer horns, a snake’s neck, a clam’s belly, tiger paws, eagle claws, along with 117 carp scales. The Chinese dragon is physically concise. Out of the 117 scales, 81 of them are positive (Yang essence) and the other 36 scales are negative (Yin essence). Daixe Wang
There are nine different types of dragons. The first one is the Celestial Dragon, which is the ruler of all dragons. It is also in charge of protecting both the homes of the deities and the heavens. The second dragon is the Spiritual Dragon. This dragon is in control of the weather and has to be appeased or the weather conditions turn terrible. Imperial Dragons have the special rank; this dragon also has five toes. The third dragon was the Earth Dragon. This dragon controlled the rivers during the spring and spends most of its time in the heavens. While in the autumn, it spends its time in the seas. The fourth dragon is the Underworld Dragon. This dragon is the guardian of the precious metals and jewels that are buried within the Earth. The fifth dragon is the Horned Dragon. It is considered the mightiest dragon of all. The sixth dragon is the Winged Dragon. This is the only dragon that has wings. It is believed that this dragon was a powerful servant under the command of the Yellow Emperor, Huang Di. The seventh dragon is the Coiling Dragon. This dragon dwells in the ocean. The eighth dragon is the Yellow Dragon. This hornless dragon is known to have great knowledge. This dragon also emerged from the river of Luo to show Fuxi the basics of writing. The last dragon is the King of Dragons. Four different dragons are very well respected and honored, and rule over the four different directions: north, east, south and west.