This section summarizes for the user the dragon's role in Chinese art and society beginning with its origins in ancient folk belief. Several key qualities of the Chinese dragon, its auspicious quality, its association with water, and its miraculous power of transformation are discussed, in order to explain why dragons of various types eventually appear everywhere in Chinese culture. Special attention is given to the dragon's association with the emperor and its position both in the Chinese landscape and the Chinese calendar.
Every exhibit is illustrated and carries a simple yet vivid explanation.
Each picture can be enlarged beyond full-screen size, and by moving the cursor to any edge of the screen the picture will automatically scroll sideways or up and down for full appreciation of every detail Selected exhibits also include a video clip permitting the user to view them from any chosen angle. This section introduces ten categories of dragon types based on the different shapes and poses of the dragons used in the decorative designs of the antiquities. Separate paragraphs are devoted to the evolution of each type of dragon design, its period of greatest popularity, and an account of how it was used in practice. This section highlights 14 chronological periods relevant to the date of the various antiquities shown. In addition to ranging antiquities of different periods in chronological order, it also focuses on the distinguishing characteristics of dragon designs of each period, thus giving the user an insight into how styles changed over time.