Azure Dragon 青龙(qīng lóng)

Watercolor and Alcohol Markers, 2020
Wen Ting Dong 董文婷

The Azure Dragon, also known as the blue-green dragon, is one of the Four Great Celestial Beasts in Chinese myth. Dragons are one of the most symbolic and respected creatures in Chinese culture. There are many types of dragons in Chinese culture and their appearances vary from one to another, but generally, they tend to have the head of a camel, horns like a deer, eye of a rabbit, ears of an ox, neck like a snake, body like a sea serpent, scales and whiskers like a koi, and claws of an eagle. Most dragons live in the sea and have the ability to fly into heaven, their breath forms mist that creates rain clouds or breathes fire. Each dragon also has a dragon pearl and a scale under their throat that will instantly anger the dragon if touched. The Azure Dragon is the guardian of the East. It represents spring and has the power to control “wood” which is all plant life.