Do you know any Chinese culture relics related to “Loong”?
In China, the year 2024 is heralded as the Year of the Dragon, or "loong," as it is known in Chinese. This mythological creature is a symbol of good luck and appears on many cultural artifacts passed down through Chinese history.
I've selected several loong-themed cultural relics and three lucky loong idioms to illuminate the differences between Chinese loongs and their Western counterparts.
Here's to a New Year filled with joy and prosperity, enriched by the mystical charm of the loong!
The jade loong, carved from dark green Xiuyan jade, boasts a smooth and sleek body. Its head features a long snout and slender eyes, with a mane that seems to float, and its body curls like a hook. Vivid in shape and exquisitely carved, it enjoys the reputation of being "China's First Loong."
Many relics from the Neolithic Age showcase loong-like remains, whether they be Bang Su (sculptures inlaid with clamshells), colored paintings, or sculptures. Researchers have proposed various hypotheses regarding the inspiration for the loong, such as snakes, crocodiles, lizards, fish, salamanders, horses, cows, pigs, deer, bears, tigers, silkworms, grubs, pine trees, clouds, and lightning, among others.
Oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang dynasty and the jade loong depict the loong as a giant, horned creature with a large mouth and a curved body. Similar jade relics have also been found in Hanshan county, Anhui Province, and at the "Xiao Jia Wu Ji" (Ridge of Xiao's Family) in Tianmen city, Hubei Province, which may represent the earliest depictions of the loong.
Opinions on the origin of the loong vary, with suggestions including lizards and crocodiles. It is suggested that the loong's head may derive from that of a horse, cow, or pig. The jade loong is among the earliest depictions of a loong discovered in China. The head features a long snout and a protruding nose with an upturned edge. The end is truncated, displaying two side-by-side nostrils, which gives it characteristics resembling a pig's head. Crafted from black and green jade, the jade loong holds significant artistic value.
Unlike Western dragons, which are often depicted as aggressive, fire-breathing, flying lizards, Chinese loongs traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water. In Chinese mythology, the loong is credited with bringing rain and ensuring a bountiful harvest. The unique appearance of the Chinese loong, with fish scales, a serpentine body, deer horns, and eagle claws, distinguishes it from its Western counterparts.
For thousands of years, the Chinese have venerated the loong, believing that they can bring harmony and prosperity. According to Chinese mythology, the legendary ruler, the Yan Emperor (炎帝), was conceived through his mother's telepathy with a mythological loong. As the Chinese regard the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor as their forefathers (炎黄子孙), they sometimes refer to themselves as "descendants of the loong (龙的传人)."
At the Fuxin Chahai historical site (阜新查海遗址) in Liaoning Province, a stone sculpture of a loong was discovered in 1994. Measuring 19.70 meters in length, with a width of 2 meters at the head and about 1 meter from the torso to the tail, the sculpture's age has been established by radiocarbon dating to be between 7,600 and 8,000 years old.
The idiom 龙年大吉 means "good luck in the year of the loong." We wish our readers a happy and auspicious Chinese New Year!
No comments:
Post a Comment