Unlike the dragon of Western stories, the Chinese dragon stands for friendship and protection. The Chinese divide the calendar into twelve years with each year representing a different animal. The year of the dragon is the only year named after a mythical creature, and those born in the year of the dragon are believed to be very fortunate and gifted leaders. As the symbol of imperial power, Chinese mythology depicts the earth divided among the five emperors with the Central or Yellow Emperor as the ruling figure and the dragon as the symbol of power. The dragon has also crept into the language through powerful images and names of places, plants, people and even toys.
Dragons abound at the yearly festivals on kites, boats and in the dances and parades.
The Chinese have even divided each day into the twelve animals, and a chart outlines the qualities associated with each year or each hour. Song Nan Zhang has once again produced delicate and detailed illustrations that bring to life the richness of the Chinese culture. Reach for this book to supplement a study of Chinese culture and history or mythical creatures. Readers young and not so young will delight as they learn more about the mythical dragon that has invaded so many of their childhood stories. Tundra Books has again created a well-bound, reasonably priced hardcover.