Dragons West and East
The dragons of China are wonderful and interesting creatures quite unlike the idea Westerners and Europeans have of the dragon.

We Westerners think of dragons as mythical flying reptilian monsters of medieval times that breathed smoke, belched fire and had a nasty habit of burning down villages and scorching there inhabitants. The evil dragon could only be slain by mighty knights empowered with mythical magical powers.

Chinese dragons on the other hand are real beneficial creatures that predate ancient history in China. The Emperors and many others in China believe to be descendants of dragons. There are many different kinds of Chinese dragons and there are more representations of dragons in China than pagodas. They are embroidered on clothing, carved in stone, made of paper, wood, metal; on eves, on columns, walls, steps, freestanding, everywhere in China, dragons.