Instruct: Given a question, retrieve passages that can help answer the question.
Query: What do dragons represent in Chinese mythology?
Historically, the Chinese dragon was associated with the Emperor of China and used a symbol to represent imperial power. The founder of Han dynasty Liu Bang claimed that he was conceived after his mother dreamt of a dragon.[2] During the Tang dynasty, Emperors wore robes with dragon motif as an imperial symbol, and high officials might also be presented with dragon robes.[3] In the Yuan dynasty, the two-horned five-clawed dragon was designated for use by the Son of Heaven or Emperor only, while the four-clawed dragon was used by the princes and nobles.[4] Similarly during the Ming and Qing dynasty, the five-clawed dragon was strictly reserved for use by the Emperor only. The dragon in the Qing dynasty appeared on the first Chinese national flag.[5]
Information on mythological beings in early Chinese mythology often is based upon references from the "Chu Ci" as one of a few surviving primary sources from ancient times: among which are references to the ambiguously horned dragon ("qiulong"), crocodilian dragon ("jiaolong"), the immortal "xian" and "zhenren" of later Daoist fame, the giant bashe serpent, the "hong" rainbow dragon, the "feilong" flying dragon, and the "zhulong" Torch Dragon. Also, information of the meaning of and in regard to the Chinese characters used for the "teng", the "shi", "chi" also has been derived from the "Chu Ci" as a primary source.
Perhaps the best known of the poems is "The Great Chinese Dragon", although one critic says that the Remedial-English style of this poem makes one doubt that Ferlinghetti would ever be able to write poetry again.
Gregory Stephenson, incorporating quotes from "The Great Chinese Dragon", says the dragon "… represents 'the force and mystery of life,' the true sight that 'sees the spiritual everywhere translucent in the material world.'" Perhaps what Ferlinghetti wants his reader to do is to see the jazz music and the everyday images and the repetitive references to common culture found in his poems; and then see beyond them to "the spiritual everywhere translucent."
Homosexual encounters are common in Chinese folk stories. The animal spirits or fairies often choose same-sex partners, usually young men or boys. According to Xiaomingxiong, one exception to this age preference is the dragon, a powerful mythological beast. Chinese dragons "consistently enjoy[s] sexual relationships with older men", one example being in the tale of "Old Farmer and a Dragon", in which a sixty-year-old farmer is forcibly sodomised by a passing dragon, resulting in wounds from penetration and bites that require medical attention.
In Chinese mythology, a carving of a tree of life depicts a phoenix and a dragon; the dragon often represents immortality. A Taoist story tells of a tree that produces a peach of immortality every three thousand years, and anyone who eats the fruit receives immortality.
In Japanese mythology, the and – were magical gems that the Sea God used to control the tides. Classical Japanese history texts record an ancient myth that the ocean "kami" Watatsumi 海神 "sea god" or Ryūjin 龍神 "dragon god" presented the "kanju" and "manju" to his demigod son-in-law Hoori, and a later legend that Empress Jingū used the tide jewels to conquer Korea. Tide jewels interrelate Japanese dragons and "wani" sea-monsters, Indonesian mythology, the "nyoi-ju" 如意珠 ""cintamani"; wish-fulfilling jewel" in Japanese Buddhism, magic jewels of Nāga kings in Hindu mythology, and the pearl associations of Chinese dragons in Chinese mythology.
One of the most famous dragons in Chinese mythology is Yinglong, the god of rain. Many people in different places pray to Yinglong to receive rain. Chinese people use the term 龍的傳人 ("Descendants of the Dragon") as a sign of their ethnic identity. Shenlong is a master of storms and bringer of rain. Zhulong the Torch Dragon is a giant red solar deity. Sometimes he appears in composite snake-like, human-dragon form. There were various dragon kings. They mostly lived undersea and were of the Ao family, such as Ao Guang.
Some bilingual Chinese dictionaries translate "teng" as "wingless dragon", but this apparent ghost meaning is not found in monolingual Chinese sources. For instance, the Wiktionary and the Unihan Database translation equivalent for "teng" 螣 is "mythological wingless dragon of" . This dangling "of" appears to be copied from Robert Henry Mathews (1931:894) "Mathews' Chinese-English Dictionary" "A wingless dragon of the clouds", which adapted Herbert Giles's (1892:1352) dictionary "A wingless dragon which inhabits the clouds and is regarded as a creature of evil omen." While dragons are depicted as both winged and wingless (e.g., the lindworm "a bipedal wingless dragon"), Chinese dictionaries note "teng" "flying serpents" are "wuzu" 無足 "footless; legless" (see the "Xunzi" below) not "wingless".
Chinese folk religion is a set of worship traditions of the ethnic deities of the Han people. It involves the worship of various figures in Chinese mythology, folk heroes such as Guan Yu and Qu Yuan, mythological creatures such as the Chinese dragon, or family, clan and national ancestors. These practices vary from region to region, and do not characterize an organized religion, though many traditional Chinese holidays such as the Duanwu (or Dragon Boat) Festival, Qingming, and the Mid-Autumn Festival come from the most popular of these traditions.
In Chinese folklore and art, most dragons, including the "long" 龍, are represented with two horns. Besides the "chi" 螭, only a few dragons supposedly lacked horns, for instance, "jiaolong" 蛟龍 "aquatic dragon; hornless dragon; crocodile" or "qiulong" 虯龍 "horned dragon; hornless dragon".
Chinese dragon mythology is central to Japanese dragons. Japanese words for "dragon" are written with "kanji" ("Chinese characters"), either simplified "shinjitai" 竜 or traditional "kyūjitai" 龍 from Chinese "long" 龍. These "kanji" can be read "tatsu" in native Japanese "kun'yomi" and "ryū" or "ryō" in Sino-Japanese "on'yomi".
Another hypothesis on why star, moon, cloud and dragon symbols started appearing on Chinese cash coins is that they represent Yin and Yang and the Wu Xing, or more specifically the element of water (水), this hypothesis claims that the appearance of these symbols wasn't accidental but a manifestation of the fundamental belief of the ancient Chinese people of the time in Yin Yang energy and the elements of the Wu Xing. The Hanzi character for a "spring" (泉), which in this context refers to the underground source of water also meant "coin" in ancient China. In Chinese mythology the moon was an envoy or messenger from the heavens and water was cold air of Yin energy that was being accumulated and had their origins on the moon. As the moon was the spirit in charge of water in Chinese mythology and was in fact its essence the alleged meaning of crescent symbols representing "the moon" on cash coins could indicate that cash coins have to circulate just like water which flows, gushes, and rises. The symbolism of "clouds" or "auspicious clouds" in this context may then refer to the fact that clouds cause rain, in the Book of Changes the second trigram is mentioned to be representative of the element water which appear in the heavens as clouds, this would also imply that like flowing water cash coins should circulate freely. The appearance of wiggly-lines that represent Chinese dragons happened around this time as well and may have also been based on the Wu Xing element of water as dragons were thought to be water animals that were the bringers of both the winds and the rain, this would also confirm that dragons represented the nation that the circulation of cash coins should be free akin to how water flows. In later Chinese charms, amulets, and talismans the dragon became a symbol of the Chinese emperor as well as the central government of China and its power.
The Four Symbols of Chinese cosmology were the Azure Dragon of the East, the Black Tortoise of the North, the White Tiger of the West, and the 
Vermillion Bird of the South. These totem animals represented the four cardinal directions, with a lot of associated symbolism and beliefs. A fifth cardinal direction was also postulated: the center, represented by the emperor of China, located in the middle of his Middle Kingdom (Zhong Guo, or China). The real or mythological inhabitants making their dwellings at these cardinal points were numerous, as is associated mythology. 
Chinese dragons, also known as East Asian dragons, are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and East Asian culture at large. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. They traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it in East Asian culture. During the days of Imperial China, the Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength.[1]
The Chinese mythological symbols of the Dragon and the Phoenix have been used to represent Jason and Sam individually as well as their union as a married couple. Throughout their relationship Jason and Sam have had an affinity for Chinese food. When they went to escape the stress of their wedding, they ended up in the Asian Quarter of town at a little Chinese restaurant. The couple’s wedding was infused with a lot of Chinese tradition. During their wedding ceremony in the garden, Jason stood under the symbol of the Dragon and Sam stood under the symbol of the Phoenix. In Chinese mythology, the Phoenix symbolizes luck, success, beauty and prosperity. The Phoenix was considered the goddess of all winged creatures and was often the symbol of the Empress. The Dragon symbolizes protection, strength, wealth, good fortune and vigilance. It is regarded as the ultimate being amongst all creatures and was often the symbol of the Emperor. Together, the dragon and the phoenix represent the ultimate union of yin and yang. They represent wedded bliss, harmony, happiness in marriage, people who are "meant to be," success and prosperity, as well as many offspring, and the beginning of a dynastic family. For Christmas on December 23, 2011, Jason and Sam exchanged dragon and phoenix figurines. The couple's son, Daniel, was born in the year of the dragon and their daughter, Emily, was born in the year of the phoenix (fire rooster). During their wedding ceremony the minister, Robert Yi recited these words on the dragon and the phoenix: 
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and East Asian culture at large. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. They traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it in East Asian culture. During the days of Imperial China, the Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength. They are also the symbol and representative for the Son of Heaven, the Mandate of Heaven, the Celestial Empire and the Chinese Tributary System during the history of China.
One exception to the age preference for younger men is shown by the dragon, a powerful mythological beast, and a phallic symbol of male potency. According to Xiaomingxiong, Chinese dragons "consistently enjoy sexual relationships with older men", one example being in the tale of "Old Farmer and a Dragon", in which a sixty-year-old farmer is forcibly sodomised by a passing dragon, resulting in wounds from penetration and bites that require medical attention.
Fish are an important motif in Chinese mythology. There are various myths involving fish. The word for "fish", "yu" is a homophone for "abundance" and "affluence". (Eberhard, 1983: 106). Chinese mythology refers to those myths found in the historical geographic area of China. The geographic area of "China" is of course a concept which has evolved of changed through history. Fish in Chinese mythology include myths in Chinese and other languages, as transmitted by Han Chinese as well as other ethnic groups (of which fifty-six are officially recognized by the current administration of China). (Yang 2005:4) The Chinese dragon is the head of the fish clan.
Chi () means either "a hornless dragon" or "a mountain demon" (namely, "chimei" 螭魅) in Chinese mythology. Hornless dragons were a common motif in ancient Chinese art, and the "chiwen" 螭吻 (lit. "hornless-dragon mouth") was an Imperial roof decoration in traditional Chinese architecture.
An Oriental dragon or Chinese dragon is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology and folklore.
""Hong" < *"g'ung" 虹 'rainbow' has always represented a dragon to the Chinese," says Carr (1990:103), "from Shang oracle pictographs of dicephalous sky-serpents to the modern 虹 graph with the 'wug' radical." The mythic Chinese "hong" "rainbow" dragon has a few parallels in the natural world (two-headed snake, Rainbow Snake Farancia erytrogramma, and Rainbow Boa Epicrates cenchria) and many in comparative mythology (see rainbows in mythology and snakes in mythology).
As a part of traditional folklore, dragons appear in a variety of mythological fiction. In the classical novel Journey to the West, the son of the Dragon King of the West was condemned to serve as a horse for the travelers because of his indiscretions at a party in the heavenly court. Sun Wukong's staff, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, was robbed from Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea. In Fengshen Yanyi and other stories, Nezha, the boy hero, defeats the Dragon Kings and tames the seas. Chinese dragons also appear in innumerable Japanese anime films and television shows, manga, and in Western political cartoons as a personification of the People's Republic of China. The Chinese respect for dragons is emphasized in Naomi Novik's Temeraire novels, where they were the first people to tame dragons and are treated as equals, intellectuals, or even royalty, rather than beasts solely bred for war in the West. Manda is a large Chinese dragon that appears in the Godzilla storyline. A golden three-headed dragon also appears in the comic book series God Is Dead. Red dragon is a symbol of China which appears in many Mahjong games. A Chinese Water-Dragon is used as the main antagonist in Season 3 of the Australian television series Mako Mermaids. The Dragon is heavily based on Chinese mythology to coincide with a new Chinese mermaid on the show.
Tianlong (Chinese:天龍; pinyin:tiānlóng; Wade–Giles:t'ien-lung; literally: 'heavenly dragon'), celestial dragon that guards heavenly palaces and pulls divine chariots; also a name for the constellation Draco Shenlong (Chinese:神龍; pinyin:shénlóng; Wade–Giles:shen-lung; literally: 'god dragon'), thunder god that controls the weather, appearance of a human head, dragon's body, and drum-like stomach Fuzanglong (Chinese:伏藏龍; pinyin:fúcánglóng; Wade–Giles:fu-ts'ang-lung; literally: 'hidden treasure dragon'), underworld guardian of precious metals and jewels, associated with volcanoes Dilong (Chinese:地龍; pinyin:dìlóng; Wade–Giles:ti-lung; literally: 'earth dragon'), controller of rivers and seas; also a name for earthworm Yinglong (Chinese:應龍; pinyin:yìnglóng; Wade–Giles:ying-lung; literally: 'responding dragon'), winged dragon associated with rains and floods, used by Yellow Emperor to kill Chi You Jiaolong (Chinese:蛟龍; pinyin:jiāolóng; Wade–Giles:chiao-lung; literally: 'crocodile dragon'), hornless or scaled dragon, leader of all aquatic animals Panlong (Chinese:蟠龍; pinyin:pánlóng; Wade–Giles:p'an-lung; literally: 'coiled dragon'), lake dragon that has not ascended to heaven Huanglong (Chinese:黃龍; pinyin:huánglóng; Wade–Giles:huang-lung; literally: 'yellow dragon'), hornless dragon symbolizing the emperor Feilong (Chinese:飛龍; pinyin:fēilóng; Wade–Giles:fei-lung; literally: 'flying dragon'), winged dragon that rides on clouds and mist; also a name for a genus of pterosaur (compare Feilong kick and Fei Long character) Qinglong (Chinese:青龍; pinyin:qīnglóng; Wade–Giles:ch'ing-lung; literally: 'Azure Dragon'), the animal associated with the East in the Chinese Four Symbols, mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations Qiulong (Chinese:虯龍; pinyin:qíulóng; Wade–Giles:ch'iu-lung; literally: 'curling dragon'), contradictorily defined as both "horned dragon" and "hornless dragon" Zhulong (Chinese:燭龍; pinyin:zhúlóng; Wade–Giles:chu-lung; literally: 'torch dragon') or Zhuyin (Chinese:燭陰; pinyin:zhúyīn; Wade–Giles:chu-yin; literally: 'illuminating darkness') was a giant red draconic solar deity in Chinese mythology. It supposedly had a human's face and snake's body, created day and night by opening and closing its eyes, and created seasonal winds by breathing. (Note that this zhulong is different from the similarly named Vermilion Dragon or the Pig dragon). Chilong (Chinese:螭龍 or 魑龍; pinyin:chīlóng; Wade–Giles:ch'ih-lung; literally: 'demon dragon'), a hornless dragon or mountain demon
Panlong (; lit. "coiled dragon") is an aquatic dragon resembling a "jiaolong" 蛟龍 "river dragon; crocodile" in Chinese mythology, an ancient motif in Chinese art, and a proper name.
Various mythology accounting human-dragon relationships exist, such as the story of Longmu, a woman who raise dragons.