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The Chinese dragon is historically a symbol of the Chinese's Emperor and 'commoners' could not use it. Over the years the presence of the dragon has faded and re-emerged due to different connotations with war and aggressions. Chinese dragons are also closely linked to rain and water and some of the most horrific floods that occurred in China are blamed on a mortal angering a dragon.
Chinese dragons are very specifically details and described using nine attributes with 117 scales of which 81 are Yin (positive essence) and 36 are Yang (negative essence). The dragon can have nine forms and is thought to have nine children. Nine is a very significant number in china and normally associated with dragons. Nine is the number of the emperor and only the most superior in government or rulers would wear robes decorated with nine dragons.
The Chinese dragon is part of the Chinese zodiac and dragon years are the most popular to have babies as dragons are linked with certain personality traits. A dragon is one of the four celestial guardians. Dragon boat racing and dancing with dragon puppets are popular celebration of the Chinese New Year.
In modern times the belief of the dragon is not as prevalent but the worship of dragon kings for weather and water still an important part of Chinese tradition. Dragons are thought to control moving bodies of water form seas to rivers and rule the water and weather. The four main dragon kings rule the east sea, the south sea, the west sea and the North Sea.
Dragons have many powers and can disguise itself as a silk worm or be as large as the universe. It can fly or hide in water and can be invisible or glow. It can also change water into fire and form clouds. It is unknown where the Chinese dragon originated from but it is thought that the dragon may be a stylized form of a crocodile. The ancient crocodile could sense air pressure and new when it was going to rain. As the dragon controls the weather and rain it is thought that this beginning of the dragon is true over other theories.
