Expert: Jennifer - 7/31/2010

Question
Hi there. I'm not sure you'll know anything about this, but perhaps you could point me in the right direction. I'm doing some research on Chinese dragons and I came upon this statement in a Wikipedia article: "The other legendary Emperor, Huang Di's brother, Yan Di was born by his mother's telepathy with a mythic dragon. Since the Chinese consider Huang Di and Yan Di as their ancestors, they sometimes refer to themselves as 'the descendants of the dragon'. This legend also contributed towards the use of the Chinese dragon as a symbol of imperial power."

I was wondering if this is an accurate version of the myth, as I can't seem to find any other reference to it (at least online.) I'd like to learn more about any myths having to do with the Chinese people being descended from dragons. If you have any idea where I could read about the above myth, or any others having to do with the "children of the dragon", I would love to know.

Thanks for any help! :)
-Manda

Answer
Hi Manda,

In Chinese, we have a saying '炎黄子孙' which can be translated literally as 'grandchildren of yan and huang'. Ever since the Shang Dynasty, emperors believe that they are chosen by God to rule the central plains. Some believe that they are descendants of deities as well.

Another term in Chinese that may be helpful is '龙的传人'. It means that we are descendants of the dragon. As some Chinese believe that the king is the first man, all other human beings must be his descendants.

Another consideration is that the dragon and the phoenix have long been considered as the most powerful creatures in Chinese culture. It would thus be natural for kings to choose the dragon as an emblem. In fact, parents often yearn that their sons would become like dragons and their daughters like phoenix (望子成龙，望女成凤).

I hope that helps!

Regards,
Jen