This year, the heavenly stems are Geng Jin, the earthly branches are Chen Tu, and the Chen Geng Zodiac is Dragon, commonly known as the Year of the Loong, which replaced the previous Year of the Rabbit, that is, sending rabbits to welcome dragons. According to Xigu, an ancient Chinese zodiac sign in China, all children born this year take the dragon as the zodiac sign, so many people compete to have a dragon girl and pray for good luck.
People in China believe that objects with dragons as their portraits will bring good luck. Therefore, social businesses in China saw the "business opportunities in the Year of the Loong" early in the morning, and launched ornaments and handicrafts with dragons as shapes, as well as dazzling and beautiful commemorative gold coins and stamps of the Year of the Loong, which became the prey of collectors.
As a symbol of the Chinese nation, China people at home and abroad call dragons descendants of the Chinese people. In the eyes of China people, the dragon is the first of all things and a symbol of good luck.
Dragon ranks fifth in the zodiac. Zodiac refers to the Zodiac, which is the chronological method of the China Zodiac. These 12 animals are rats, cows, tigers, rabbits, dragons, snakes, horses, sheep, monkeys, chickens, dogs and pigs. For thousands of years, everyone has a zodiac sign, whether it is the past royalty or the promotion of Wang. It is said that many westerners are very interested in China's Zodiac, and they have "made in-depth research". Some people explain to the Year of the Loong that this year is the year when the most powerful "dragon" is released among the 12 zodiac animals in China, and this year's dragon is the most constructive "golden dragon".
Dragon is the totem of the primitive society of the Chinese nation thousands of years ago. Dragon climbing and dragon walking have developed vertically into an artistic flying dragon. However, after entering the class society, especially after the Zhou Dynasty, due to the expansion of imperial power, the royal family gradually took the dragon as their own. Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals compares Jackie Chan and Qin Shihuang to the ancestors of dragons. After the Han and Tang Dynasties, the emperor was repeatedly called "the real dragon emperor" and was the embodiment of the dragon. Even the emperor used the image and name of dragon, such as dragon bed, dragon position, dragon robe, dragon body and dragon face. This phenomenon reached its acme in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.
According to the description of dragon marriage by China folklorists, dragons in ancient China mythology are divided into male dragons and female dragons, and Fuxi and Nu Wa are called ancestors like Adam and Eve in the west. In Shan Hai Jing, Fuxi and Nu Wa are described as the heads of dragons and snakes. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were murals matching Fu Yi and Nuwa Dragon and Snake. Among the existing cultural relics, many Han and Tang murals, stone reliefs, brick carvings and silk paintings all show that Fuyi people and Nuwa people embrace snakes and mate, and there is a full moon and the sun showing yin and yang, in which some children play to show their offspring.
However, the phenomenon of dragon and tiger matching appeared in the Eastern Han Dynasty and its later period, which was influenced by Taoism at that time, especially Taoism, and was most obvious on the stone reliefs and bronze mirrors in the Eastern Han Dynasty. During the late Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties and the Northern Song Dynasty, under the influence of the ruler's will, the concept of matching dragons and phoenixes was gradually formed: the highest representative of the ruling class was the emperor, the queen was the phoenix, and the royal family regarded dragons and phoenixes as auspicious symbols. People shape the dragon as a combination of majesty, strength and wisdom, while the phoenix is a combination of generosity, gentleness and beauty. After a long period of evolution, the dragon and phoenix have become an important part of China traditional culture. On the wedding day, people are used to lighting dragon and phoenix candles and giving gifts with auspicious patterns to the couple to express their good wishes.
In ancient legends, the dragon is a magical animal that is good at change and can call the wind and rain, symbolizing sacredness, loftiness and dignity. It is the only animal in the zodiac that does not exist in nature. What does a dragon look like? Ancient working people in China described it as a collection of unicorn head, antlers, snake body, ox ears, rabbit eyes, carp scales, eagle claws and fish tails. However, the prototype of the dragon has always been controversial.
As soon as the bell rang in 2000, news broke out in Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province: Zhejiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology found an image of a "dragon" more than 6,000 years ago at the Neolithic site in Loujiaqiao Village, Ciwu Town, Zhejiang Province: the dragon head, tail, round eyes, long horns, sudden kiss, big mouth, long body, four legs and tail were found on two pottery pieces.
According to Jiang Leping, an archaeologist in Zhejiang Province, in 1988, China first discovered the image of a dragon in Xishuipo, Puyang, Henan. 6300 years ago, the shape of "dragon" was made of clam shell. Later, about 5,000 years ago, the image of "dragon" carved on jade was found in the ruins of Shanxi and Liaoning.