The dragon ranks fifth among the twelve traditional Chinese zodiac signs, and the corresponding earthly branch is Chen, so there is a saying of Chen Long. The dragon, the phoenix, the unicorn and the turtle are collectively known as the "four auspicious animals". The banknotes issued by Standard Chartered Bank of Hong Kong since 1979 are all based on these auspicious animals. (There are also many classics and historical works that mention the "four auspicious beasts" as: Yuqi, Ju, Pi, and Suanni.) "Double Dragons Playing with Pearls" is a well-known masterpiece. The green dragon, the white tiger, the red bird, and the basalt are the four symbols of Chinese astronomy.
The prototype of dragons sprouted in the late Neolithic Age. Ancient books describe the image of the dragon in many different ways. We can see these different types of dragons on Chinese bronzes from the Shang, Zhou and Warring States periods. Dragons with horse heads and scaly bodies or dragons with two wings are often seen in the stone portraits of the Han Dynasty. Dragons had various meanings in the Han Dynasty. For example, the inscriptions on bronze mirrors of the Han Dynasty read: The dragon on the left and the tiger on the right are ominous.
Erya Wings says: The dragon is as long as the scale insect. Wang Fu said that its shape has nine similarities: the head is like an ox, the horns are like a deer, the eyes are like a shrimp, the ears are like an elephant, the neck is like a snake, the belly is like a snake, the scales are like a fish, the claws are like a phoenix, and the palms are like a tiger. There are eighty-one scales on its back, with ninety-nine Yang numbers. Its sound is like the sound of a copper plate rattling. There is a beard beside the mouth, a bright pearl under the chin, and reverse scales under the throat. There is Boshan, also known as Chimu, above its head. A dragon cannot ascend to the sky without Chimu. Breathing into clouds can turn into water and fire.
One draws antlers and two shrimps, three draws a dog nose and four cow mouths, five draws a lion's mane and six fish scales, seven draws a snake body and eight flames, and nine draws a chicken's feet, a dragon." This method may not be comprehensive. , "Researching the Legend of "Dragon Drops" in Daqing" written by reporter Wei Guodong" talked about the incident of a black dragon falling from Chenjiaweizi Village on the Songhua River in 1944. The speaker said, "There are no horns on the head, but a flat shovel-shaped one on the forehead. The horns are like ox horns, short and straight, and the face shape is similar to the dragon in the painting. It has seven or eight long whiskers, which are thick and hard." The so-called black dragon in Chenjiaweizi is a unicorn dragon. "Compendium of Materia Medica" states that " "Dragon has nine similarities." It is a heterogeneous creature that possesses the strengths of various animals.