The Chinese Dragon

About this book

Dragon figures appear on robes, rooftops and ceremonial objects throughout Chinese art. M. W. de Visser follows the creature's many forms across folklore, religion and the explanations once offered for weather and water.

The Chinese Dragon studies dragons as cultural beings whose meanings developed through texts, images and ritual practice. De Visser compares Chinese accounts with neighbouring traditions while gathering details about their appearances and powers. His early twentieth-century scholarship has limitations, but the range of examples allows the dragon to emerge as a complex figure with a long history beyond the familiar decorative emblem.