Editing Chinese dragon (section)

=== Classical era ===
[[File:Qin State Warring States-Qin Dynasty Bronze Dragon (46740307754).jpg|thumb|[[Qin dynasty]] twin bronze dragons, found near the [[Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor]].]]
[[File:Tomb tile with dragon and warrior.jpg|thumb|[[Western Han dynasty]] tomb mural of a warrior on a dragon, found in Luoyang.]]
[[File:邓县南朝画像砖青龙.jpg|thumb|Dragon on a tomb brick relief from the [[Northern and Southern dynasties]].]]
[[File:20230923 Gilded Walking Dragon of Tang Dynasty.jpg|thumb|Gilded Walking Dragon of [[Tang dynasty]]]]
Chinese literature and myths refer to many dragons besides the famous ''long''. The linguist Michael Carr analyzed over 100 ancient dragon names attested in [[Chinese classic texts]].<ref name="Carr">Carr, Michael. 1990. [http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf4/carr1990chinese.pdf "Chinese Dragon Names"], ''Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area'' 13.2:87–189. He classified them into seven categories: Rain-dragons, Flying-dragons, Snake-dragons, Wug-dragons [''wug'' refers to "worms, bugs, and small reptiles"], Crocodile-dragons, Hill-dragons, and Miscellaneous dragons.</ref>
*''[[Tianlong]]'', celestial dragon that guards heavenly palaces and pulls divine chariots; also a name for the constellation [[Draco (constellation)|Draco]]
*''[[Shenlong]]'', thunder god that controls the weather, appearance of a human head, dragon's body, and drum-like stomach
*''[[Fuzanglong]]'', underworld guardian of precious metals and jewels, associated with volcanoes
*''[[Dilong]]'', controller of rivers and seas
*''[[Yinglong]]'', winged dragon associated with rains and floods, used by [[Yellow Emperor]] to kill [[Chi You]]
*''[[Jiaolong]]'', hornless or scaled dragon, leader of all aquatic animals
*''[[Panlong (mythology)|Panlong]]'', lake dragon that has not ascended to heaven
*''[[Huanglong (mythology)|Huanglong]]'', hornless dragon symbolizing the emperor
*''[[Feilong (mythology)|Feilong]]'', winged dragon that rides on clouds and mist; also a name for [[Feilongus|a genus of pterosaur]] (compare [[Feilong]] kick and [[Fei Long]] character)
*''Azure Dragon'', the animal associated with the East in the Chinese [[Four Symbols (Chinese constellation)|Four Symbols]], mythological creatures in the [[Chinese constellations]]
*''[[Qiulong]]'', contradictorily defined as both "horned dragon" and "hornless dragon"
*''[[Zhulong (mythology)|Zhulong]]'' was a giant red draconic [[solar deity]] in Chinese mythology. It supposedly had a human's face and snake's body, created day and night by opening and closing its eyes, and created seasonal winds by breathing. (Note that this ''zhulong'' is different from the similarly named Vermilion Dragon or the Pig dragon)
*''[[Chi (mythology)|Chilong]]'', a hornless dragon or mountain demon
Fewer Chinese dragon names derive from the word ''long'' {{lang|zh|龍}}:
*''[[Longwang]]'', divine rulers of the Four Seas
*''[[Longma]]'', emerged from the Luo River and revealed ''[[bagua]]'' to [[Fu Xi]]

Some additional Chinese dragons are not named ''long'', for instance,
*[[Hong (rainbow-dragon)|Hong]], a two-headed dragon or [[rainbow serpent]]
*[[Shen (clam-monster)|Shen]], a [[shapeshifting]] dragon or [[sea monster]] believed to create [[mirage]]s
*''[[Bashe]]'' was a giant python-like dragon that ate elephants
*''[[Teng (mythology)|Teng]]'' is a flying dragon without legs

Chinese scholars have classified dragons in diverse systems. For instance, [[Emperor Huizong of Song]] canonized five colored dragons as "kings".
*The Azure Dragon &#91;''Qinglong'' {{lang|zh|青龍}}&#93; spirits, most compassionate kings.
*The Vermilion Dragon &#91;''Zhulong'' {{lang|zh|朱龍}} or ''Chilong'' {{lang|zh|赤龍}}&#93; spirits, kings that bestow blessings on lakes.
*The Yellow Dragon &#91;''Huanglong'' {{lang|zh|黃龍}}&#93; spirits, kings that favorably hear all petitions.
*The White Dragon &#91;''Bailong'' {{lang|zh|白龍}}&#93; spirits, virtuous and pure kings.
*The Black Dragon &#91;''Xuanlong'' {{lang|zh|玄龍}} or ''Heilong'' {{lang|zh|黑龍}}&#93; spirits, kings dwelling in the depths of the mystic waters.<ref>Adapted from {{harvnb|Doré|1917}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Xr4sAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA682 p. 682].</ref>
With the addition of the Yellow Dragon of the center to Azure Dragon of the East, these Vermilion, White, and Black Dragons coordinate with the Four Symbols, including the [[Vermilion Bird]] of the South, [[White Tiger (Chinese constellation)|White Tiger]] of the West, and [[Black Tortoise]] of the North.

Dragons were varyingly thought to be able to control and embody various natural elements in their "mythic form" such as "[[water]], air, earth, [[fire]], light, wind, storm, [and] electricity".<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last1=Carlson |first1=Kathie |title=The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images |last2=Flanagin |first2=Michael N. |last3=Martin |first3=Kathleen |last4=Martin |first4=Mary E. |last5=Mendelsohn |first5=John |last6=Rodgers |first6=Priscilla Young |last7=Ronnberg |first7=Ami |last8=Salman |first8=Sherry |last9=Wesley |first9=Deborah A. |publisher=[[Taschen]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-3-8365-1448-4 |editor-last=Arm |editor-first=Karen |location=Köln |page=704 |editor-last2=Ueda |editor-first2=Kako |editor-last3=Thulin |editor-first3=Anne |editor-last4=Langerak |editor-first4=Allison |editor-last5=Kiley |editor-first5=Timothy Gus |editor-last6=Wolff |editor-first6=Mary}}</ref> Some dragons who were able to breathe fire were thought to be exiled from ''tiān'' and banished to Earth.