It's the Lunar Year of the Dragon

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Today, Feb. 10, is the first day of the Lunar New Year, kicking off the Year of the Wood Dragon!

To celebrate, I thought I'd explain what Chinese dragons are, and the differences between Chinese and Western dragons.

In Chinese mythology, dragons are divine beings that are both wise and benevolent. They also signify power, authority, luck and good fortune. They represent leaders and warriors.

In the olden days, dragons were thought to control bodies of water, floods, typhoons and rain. The Chinese emperors were believed to be the descendants of dragons.

The dragon is the only mythological creature in the Chinese zodiac. It is also the most popular of the 12 zodiac animals. People born in Dragon years have strong leadership qualities.

Differences between Chinese and Western dragons:

Chinese dragons

  • don’t have wings, although the male dragons fly.
  • don’t breathe fire.
  • don’t hoard treasure. Instead, they control bodies of water, floods, typhoons and rain.
  • don’t have a bad rep. Chinese dragons are divine beings. They also represent power, authority, luck and good fortune.
  • aren’t feared in the East. Farmers made offerings to dragons for good harvests because they were associated with rain and the seasons.

Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate it!


Chinese dragon


Western dragon

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