DRAGON: (from Greek drakon, serpent), legendary monster, usually represented as a fire-breathing winged serpent or lizard, with crested head and large claws.

Lungs or Dragons feature very heavily in Chinese culture, heavily represented in design and ritual, and omnipresent in myth. The Lung is depicted as a sinuous and scaled creature, with a large horned and whiskered head, and four stumpy clawed legs. Unlike Middle Eastern or Western dragons, the Lungs were benevolent and brought rain, guarded sacred dwellings and such tasks.

There were main four types of dragons:

• The T'ien Lung, or Celestial Dragon,
• The Fu Tsang Lung or Treasure Dragon
• The Ti Lung, or Earth Dragon
• The Shen Lung, or Rain Dragon

The latter two Lungs are together known as the Wang Lung, and are propitiated as water deities, dwelling in the Seas.

In symbolic terms, the dragon represents the male principle, while the Feng (bird) represents the female principle.