About Chinese Dragon Tattoo – What Most People Don’t Know But Should
The Chinese dragon is a mythical divine beast originating from ancient Chinese folklore. It is now commonly depicted as a huge, serpentine, scaly creature. Unlike the “Western dragon” which has been described as evil, the Chinese dragon has long been symbolized as the power of auspices in both folklore and art. Created on the land of an agriculturally oriented country, the Chinese dragon is believed to bring rain and water, which well explains its position in Chinese culture.
For centuries, the Chinese have proudly referred to themselves as “Long De Chuan Ren” or “Descendants of the Dragon.” This ethnic identity is believed to have originated from Huang Di, a benevolent and legendary emperor who was said to have been immortalized on a dragon. Since Huang Di is considered to be the ancestor of the Chinese, hence the saying “Descendants of the Dragon”.
Because of that Huang Di myth, the Chinese dragon is also symbolized as an imperial power. For the dynasties, the emperors were referred to as “Long Zi” or “dragon offspring”, who wore imperial robes with dragons on them and claimed to have a dragon birthmark as divine authorization from heaven.
The Chinese dragon is also among the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, a special Chinese way of designating the years. To be more specific, the year 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952, or any year with a gap of 12 years would be the year of the dragon. To be “like a dragon”, more babies are born in dragon years than in any other animal year of the Chinese zodiac.
Given all the reasons mentioned, it is not difficult to understand why the Chinese dragon is so popular among tattoo lovers. In fact, if you are born in those dragon years, it is highly recommended that you get a dragon tattoo because you are born blessed to be connected to the Chinese dragon.
Basically, the Chinese dragon is tattooed in two ways: image and character. Some prefer to get the entire area of their back tattooed with a vivid image of a dragon, while others may be satisfied with the Chinese character for “dragon” tattooed within a square inch area. For tattoos with images of dragons, a careful selection of the image and the tattoo artist would be enough to guarantee a quality dragon tattoo. However, for dragon character tattoos, it takes effort to come up with a great tattoo idea, as you have to take many factors into account, including the literal meaning, the “real” meaning, and the “cultural meaning” of the dragon. the word you select. . Well, that’s the tricky thing about Chinese.
Fortunately, there are many Chinese phrases that are associated with the idea of a Chinese dragon. The following are three dragon-related Chinese idioms for your reference.
Shen Long Ma Zhuang/ Long Shen Ma Zhuang
strong and energetic with an impressive bearing.
Both Shen Long Ma Zhuang and Long Shen Ma Zhuang are legitimate idioms, as in many cases Chinese characters can be reversed in words but still have a similar meaning, like this one.
Literally speaking, Shen means “magical, with divine power”, Long means “dragon”, Ma means “horse”, and Zhuang means “strong”. In Chinese culture, the horse is considered to be intelligent, powerful and friendly towards humans, so it is used together with the dragon in this language to describe the state of being strong and energetic.
By the way, Shen would be a pretty good character to ink solo, which could also mean “Almighty”.
Ru Long Si Hu: brave and energetic
Both Ru and Si mean “like” in Chinese, so this expression literally means “like a dragon like a tiger.” Traditionally, Hu (tiger) and Long (dragon) are used together in phrases, idioms, and sayings to show a strong, powerful, and commanding state of being. It goes without saying that this language would definitely suit men as it is full of strength and masculinity.
However, what is worth noting is that Long usually appears before Hu in expression, and would look strange when reversed. That being said, it would be a great idea to add Hu to your tattoo if your previous choice was to ink Long alone, but the correct way to go would be to ink “Long Hu”, not “Hu Long”.
Huo Long Xian Jian: strong and vigorous
Literally speaking, Huo means “alive”, Long means “dragon”, Xian means “fresh”, and Jian means “healthy”. When combined, they form a single Chinese language, one with a new and consistent meaning. Big literal meaning, big actual meaning, and big cultural meaning, this one is definitely tattoo fit.
These dragon-related Chinese idioms are the literary and cultural embodiment of the dragon and really meet the standards of a unique and clever Chinese tattoo. It will be amazing if you find one that best suits your personality. A Chinese dragon tattoo can be much more than just an ink, but a special identity that helps you stand out from the crowd.