According to ancient myths, the image of the
first ancestor of chinese, Fu xi and Nu Wuo, is snake body---the original form
of dragon. The birth of Yu, an ancestor of the Xia nationality, had relation
with yellow dragon. (In ancient legends, Yu was born by his father Gun. When
Gun died, his body didn't decay. When his body was cut open, a yellow dragon
came out.) Therefore, since totem times, the dragon has been worshipped as a
god of origin by ancient chinese.
The image of a dragon sums up the features of various kinds of animals: the antlers of a deer the head of a cow, the body of a snake, the scales of a fish and the claws of an eagle. It has beard beside its mouth and a pearl under the jaw. It can be small or big, dark or bright. It can cause rain and subdue the demons and ghosts. So, it was used by royal families and emperors who called themselves "real dragon-----the son of heaven" to gain people's worship. Even today, chinese folks still regard the dragon as a sacred, auspicious thing. The Dragon, as a symbol of bravery, power and nobility, will remain in chinese traditional consciousness
Dragon patterns can be divided into many kinds
according to their different designs: the moving dragon seems to be walking,
the dragon in the clouds, the rolling dragon curls its body into a ball shape,
the front dragon with the head facing front, the sitting dragon with its head
facing aside, the rising dragon with its head above its tail, the descending
dragon with tail above its head. Dragons with scales are called Jiao dragons,
dragons with wings are called Ying dragon. Dragons with horns are called Qiu
dragons, dragon without antlers are called Chi dragon that have not yet risen
to the Heaven are called Pan dragons good at living in water are called Qing
dragons, dragons fond of fire are called Huo dragons.
The Guaizi dragon is a simplified dragon pattern. The continuous Guaizi dragons means endless
happiness. With the trailing plant, it forms another pattern named "Trailing
plant and guaizi dragon".
