What is the symbolic significance of dragons in China folk customs?

Dragon, as a unique cultural cohesion and accumulation of China people, has taken root and is deeply hidden in the subconscious of each of us. Not only people's daily life, birth, illness and death are almost branded with dragon culture, but also from the perspective of dragon culture, the aesthetic consciousness of dragon culture has penetrated into all fields and aspects of our social culture. Dragon, in China, is connected with everything in the world. In the traditional culture of China, the dragon is a symbol of power, nobility and honor, as well as luck and success. The reason why dragons have this cultural symbolic significance has a lot to do with the incomparable magical power of legends and myths that dragons fly in the sky, chase waves in the sea and beg for rain on the ground. But more importantly, because the dragon often became the "exclusive patent" of slaves in China, became the supreme ruler of feudal society for thousands of years, and was synonymous with imperial power. Therefore, the emperor himself is called "the real dragon emperor" and his whole body is called "the son of heaven". The chairs they sit in are called "dragon chairs", and the cars and boats they ride are called "dragon webbed" and "dragon boat" ... In short, everything related to their daily life is marked with the word "dragon" to show their privileges. The dragon has a long history of being linked with imperial power, starting from the Yellow Emperor. In the legendary era, the Yellow Emperor, who is related to the dragon, traveled around and observed the people's feelings. He had the copper of Shoushan mined, and then transported it to the foot of Jingshan to cast a tripod to commemorate his brilliant victory in the war. After a while, the tripod was finally cast, and the Yellow Emperor held a ceremony in Jingshan to celebrate the casting of the tripod. Not only immortals from all walks of life were invited to the ceremony, but also people from all directions were invited. Everyone wants to see what the tripod cast by the Yellow Emperor looks like. It is likely that the emperor will uncover it himself. I saw a bronze tripod as big as a jar, shining with dazzling golden light in front of God and people. Everyone admires it. They came forward to look closely, and the tripod was engraved with a vigorous Youlong shuttling through a piece of auspicious clouds, surrounded by ghosts and gods and all kinds of rare birds and animals. It can be described as varied and lifelike. When all the gods were admiring the cauldron and the patterns on it with reverence, suddenly the sky was covered with thick clouds, blocking the sun, and soon it was dark. Everyone thought it was going to rain, but a golden light penetrated the thick clouds, and a dragon in shining armor broke through the clouds. Its tail and lower body are supported in the clouds, and its head rests on a tripod. The long dragon has to hang down to the ground along its legs. The Yellow Emperor understood that he had completed his mission on earth, and God sent a dragon to take him to heaven. He jumped on the dragon's back and flew back to heaven. Everyone in the world is unwilling to let a wise monarch like the Yellow Emperor go back, and everyone is dragging the dragon beard and refusing to let it go. As a result, many dragon whiskers were torn off, and the Yellow Emperor and the dragon left anyway. It is said that this kind of Gracilaria lemaneiformis gave birth to many slender grasses when it landed, and people later called it "Gracilaria lemaneiformis". Legend has it that most famous monarchs in the era have an unclear relationship with dragons. When Yao was in power, there was a big flood, and there were floods everywhere. In order to save the people, he ordered guns to control the water. Gun stole the fallow soil of the Emperor of Heaven and used the method of "blocking" to control water, but in vain, he was killed by the angry Emperor of Heaven in Yushan, and Candle dragon happened to be the patron saint here. The landlord, Yushan, doesn't bask in the sun, and is illuminated by candles in Candle dragon's mouth all the year round, so the gun's body won't rot for three years. The Emperor of Heaven was afraid of Gun's resurrection and avenged himself. As soon as he was honest, he sent a god named "Wu Dao", probably the "knife and axe hand" in the sky, and took a treasure knife to gouge out the body of the gun in the underworld. When Enlightenment cut open Gun's belly, he suddenly blamed a dragon from the inside. Strange to say, after birth, Gun rolled down the feather deep and turned into a dragon, always "lifting scales and repairing waves". Yu inherited his father's legacy and finally surrendered to the flood, winning the admiration of everyone. Later, the old man abdicated according to public opinion, and Yu became the founding monarch of the Xia Dynasty, which may also be one of the historical basis of "the emperor is the real dragon son of heaven". Another cultural symbol of the dragon is that it is different from ordinary people. Dragons are magical things, and extraordinary people are comparable, so people often call those who are ambitious, well-behaved, capable, promising and successful "dragons". When Zhuge Liang and Ge worked hard in Nanyang for a long time, they compared themselves to Guan Zhong, who was called Mr. Wolong, meaning that they failed to display their talents without ambition. In Chinese, dragons and insects are relative, and snakes are insects. Snakes, also known as long worms, can be seen everywhere, with many kinds, common, not surprising and not expensive. "Mixed dragons and snakes" means that good things and bad things are mixed together and it is difficult to distinguish. This is a phenomenon that cannot be explained by biology-the prototype of the dragon, or the basic physiological animal of the dragon is the snake. Dragon and snake are not brothers, but at least they belong to the same clan (snake is also known as "dragon"), but once the dragon leaves the snake, it ignores it and even "kills" it to show that it is different from the snake. The most typical story is that Liu Bang, the Emperor Gaozu, beheaded a white snake, saying that Liu Bang's mother Liu Wei dreamed of having sex with a dragon and was pregnant and gave birth to Liu Bang. He has no ambition. When he was traveling in the wild, he met a python and blocked the way. He immediately cut the snake with his sword and took courage out of his stomach. This is a beautiful speech, and people think it is very good. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, there was chaos in the world. Liu Bang took the opportunity to dispatch troops in Pei County to pacify the heroes and establish the Han Empire, which made Liu's country pass down in the Han Dynasty for 400 years. The dragon also symbolizes getting ahead and being different. In ancient times, those sages were also called "dragons". According to legend, Confucius went to see the old founder Yong and didn't say a word for three days after he came back. His disciples were very surprised and asked him, "How did you teach Li Yong when you met him?" Confucius said, "What I see is a dragon that changes endlessly along Yin and Yang. I was tongue-tied. How can I teach him! " It means that all words are superfluous. Lao Dan is a dragon among men and a rare saint. In addition, Zhu Gekongming was called "Mr. Wolong" before his debut, and Cai Yong, a doctor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, drank several hundred Jin and fell drunk on the side of the road, so everyone called him "Drunken Dragon". Therefore, anyone who is moral, talented, meticulous in writing, incorruptible as an official or outstanding in behavior can be compared to a "dragon". As the saying goes, "I want my child to be a dragon", not because I want my child to be a monster with horns on his head and scales on his body, but because I hope my child can make a difference and make a career in the future. Among the popular new children's songs in recent years, one is "100 is a dragon", which also means this. In addition, we often hear the news of "Dragon and Tiger List" on radio, TV, newspapers and magazines. What is the "Dragon and Tiger List"? In The Biography of Ouyang Zhan in the New Tang Dynasty, it is said that Ouyang Zhan was among the world celebrities such as Han Yu, Li Guan, Wang Ya and Cui Qun when he was studying, which means that celebrities and superstars gather here, and the "dragon" here reflects the winners. The pattern of "dragon and phoenix match" was widely circulated after the Tang Dynasty. It not only symbolizes the authority of the emperor and queen, but also symbolizes the happy combination of all human couples. It can also symbolize the harmony of Yin and Yang of all spiritual and material things in the world. It can be said that the dragon and phoenix pattern is the most representative image symbol of the Chinese nation and a wonderful artistic image. Although the dragon and phoenix in Oracle Bone Inscriptions are amorphous, how can we tell that the dragon is a spirit bug that bends and stretches with time, and the phoenix is a spirit bird with a gorgeous long tail? In ancient bronzes, the image of dragon presents a ferocious, mysterious and dignified overall effect. In the Han Dynasty, it broke through the shackles of mysterious and strange atmosphere by grasping the big plane, bold and unrestrained arc and exquisite points, and formed the main theme of big structure and great momentum. In the Tang Dynasty, it was endowed with a gentle and honest character, and formed a rich and graceful and youthful style. From the Song and Yuan Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the exquisite style was emphasized, from exquisite workmanship to complicated piling. But the dragon and phoenix pattern in the middle is still simple and clear, concise and vivid, and has a strong flavor of life. In practical application, the dragon has always represented an authority or strength, and its divinity is constantly increasing. Every part of the dragon has a specific meaning: the prominent forehead indicates wisdom; Antlers represent the country and longevity; Cow ears symbolize the top spot; The tiger's eyes are majestic; Eagle claws are brave; Sword eyebrows symbolize bravery; The lion's nose symbolizes preciousness; Goldfish tail symbolizes flexibility; Horse teeth symbolize hard work and kindness. Yunlong in front of Tiananmen Square, Panyunlong stone pillar of Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province, and the dragon bed of the Forbidden City are all symbols of imperial power in history. Phoenix birds are more secular and less sacred. As the old saying goes, there are clouds, "Phoenix" and "Feng Huang Yu Fei". This ideal spirit bird has always been regarded as the embodiment of auspiciousness and happiness, and also symbolizes happy love. The theme of "Dragon and Phoenix Becoming Auspicious" is more common in court art, with the dragon representing the emperor and the phoenix as the symbol of the female empresses. Today, the dragon and phoenix patterns are re-combined with the artistic creation enthusiasm of millions of people, and they have gained infinite artistic life in the fields of architecture, sculpture, painting, arts and crafts and so on. The outstanding performance of dragon painting is the "dragon robe" of the son of heaven. Its color is bright yellow, the dragon head is embroidered with gold and blue pieces and nine dragons, with five-color clouds in the middle, one dragon before and after the collar, one dragon on the left and right, one dragon at the intersection, one dragon on the sleeve, and the next eight treasures stand around the water. Dragon robe is the supreme suit, with fine production and exquisite craftsmanship. For example, the production of dragon robes in the Qing Dynasty was carefully designed and produced by the first-class craftsmen in the Qing Palace at that time. After the emperor personally examined and approved, he sent volunteers to Nanjing or Suzhou and Hangzhou to supervise the production. Sometimes it takes 190 days for a robe. Its special robes should also be twisted with peacock tail hair, spread all over the floor, crossed with thin lines and embroidered with big pearls to form dragons and phoenixes or group flowers. Its huge labor force and luxurious materials are shocking. Dragon flag with dragon pattern in ancient times. Dragon flags have existed since the Zhou Dynasty, and there are 12 species in the Song Dynasty, such as Huanglong Banner and Qinglong Banner. Although there are many kinds of dragon flags, the patterns of all the dragon flags are similar, all of them are blue and yellow, and there are colored footsteps between red flames, and then the images of dragons with different shapes are painted. For example, the Pearl Flag of Panlong Opera is a kind of dragon flag, which is painted with the pattern of Huanglongbei River Map, so it is also called "Huanglong Negative Map Flag". Yang Di also built a "Dragon Boat" and a "Dragon Boat Team" as his luxurious entertainment. Its "Dragon Boat" architecture and furnishings are extremely luxurious. The "Weilong inkstone" named after the "dragon" is a treasure of She Yan, and it is named because it is made of Weilong stone from Wuyuan. Its inkstone is both rigid and soft, moist and clean, caressing like skin, silent friction, jade-like color and brilliant texture, which provides a broad space for inkstone workers to teach students in accordance with their aptitude. According to the different shapes, colors and patterns of stone materials, inkstone workers carefully designed and deliberately carved to make square inkstones and round inkstones with symmetrical patterns, tall and straight knives and exquisite carvings. Decorating clothes with dragon patterns has a long history, but for a long time it was only a special product for royalty, and most of it was monopolized by emperors, dragons and grandchildren. According to legend, the Yellow Emperor thought that the dragon was a magical thing with endless changes, and he liked its appearance very much. He asked Minister Shi to draw the image of the dragon on his clothes and paint it with colorful colors, which was the first "dragon robe" in China history. Because the emperor claims to be the "real dragon emperor", the dragon is an indispensable symbol in his family: the emperor wears a dragon crown-a hat with a double dragon pattern; Wearing a dragon robe-there is a raptor on the front and back chest, mixed with clouds; Wearing a dragon belt around the waist-a belt with a dragon as the main pattern, wearing a dragon and phoenix Yu Pei ... We have seen these with our own eyes in museums, imperial tombs and folk art. As for the things used by emperors, they are mostly related to dragons: dragon cases, dragon chairs, dragon beds, dragon boats, dragon webbed and so on. When the emperor is uncomfortable, he is called "dragon's body is uneasy" and when he is angry, he is called "dragon's face is furious". Even the steps taken by the emperor are unique, called "dragon and tiger steps". Since it is a royal patent, others can't get their hands on it easily. An interesting thing happened during the reign of Emperor Yingzong in the Ming Dynasty, which led to the distinction between dragon robes and embroidered robes. During the period of Zheng De, King Annan paid tribute to China. Ming Yingzong saw that he was sincere and said he would give him a dragon robe as long as he was happy. The dragon robe symbolizes the country. How could he give it away easily? But there are no jokes in Di Jun. If so, what if the spilled water can't be collected? Ministers discussed it for a long time before they came up with an alternative way to kill two birds with one stone-subtract one claw from the dragon in the dragon robe and turn it into four claws, with three claws in front and one claw in the back. On the surface, it looks like a dragon robe, but in fact it is no longer a dragon. Five claws are dragons and four claws are pythons. Annan got the "fake" and returned to China with great joy. Later, the emperor gave this embroidered robe to the closest and most effective minister as a reward, and all the ministers who wore this embroidered robe were proud of it. Later, even the servants and guards in the palace put on embroidered robes, which has always been looked down upon by people. Therefore, people who do odd jobs, flag and shout on the stage under the stage are commonly known as "walk-on", which means that there is no real kung fu, just filling in numbers. Interestingly, while opposing imperial power, ordinary people also attach great importance to depriving dragons of their royal patent rights. According to historical records, by the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, the people's uprising had raised the banner and put on homemade dragon robes; In the Song Dynasty, Liao, Xia, Jin and later Meng Yuan, the sworn enemies of the two Song Dynasties, all absorbed the Han culture of the Central Plains, and the costumes of the leaders were decorated with dragons. More interestingly, there is a chivalrous man named "Nine Dragons" named Shi Jin in Water Margin. According to legend, he had nine dragons tattooed with ink lines. Most people with tattoos have the subconscious to show off this part, so "tattoo dragon" is also a part of "clothing". According to the legend of China Ancient Mythology Society, both Huangdi and Yandi are "sons of dragons". The descendants of the Chinese people are naturally "descendants of the dragon." In the myths and legends of ethnic minorities, there are also many stories that their ancestors were dragons. The most typical story is the ancestor story of the Ailao people. Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Sha Yi at the foot of Ailao Mountain. She once went to the river to wash clothes and saw a fish swimming around. She was so excited that she jumped into the river to catch it. She was accidentally hit by a piece of wood floating down from the upper reaches of the quilt, and soon got pregnant when she came back. Later, she gave birth to sixty babies. The children grew up under her care. On this day, she took them to the river to play with water. Suddenly she saw a dragon jump out of the water and asked her, "Are the children you gave me them?" Sha Yi nodded and invited the children to meet their father. The children were frightened by the strange shape of the dragon and dispersed in a hubbub. Only the youngest child is not afraid of it, but also curiously touches its horns and pulls its beard. Finally, he sat on the dragon's back. The dragon liked him so much that he stuck out his tongue and licked it. Sha Yi mistakenly thought that the dragon was going to eat him. He was very anxious and shouted at the child on the dragon's back. He lamented that his back tone was nearly nine and his sitting tone was nearly long. The dragon thought it was the child's name, so he called him Jiulong. Later, the ten brothers in Kowloon married the ten sisters in Houshan, and each of them got married, and * * * promoted Kowloon as the patriarch.