Thursday, December 5, 2024

Year of the Runes? Chinese dragons are not the “giant winged reptiles” of the West

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It claimed that long Dragons have positive connotations and the Chinese viewed them as sacred and mythical creatures. However, in Western culture, dragons were “giant reptiles with wings.”

Supporters of the switch quickly embraced it. Tesla founder Elon Musk He assumed his duties on Saturday after wishing his fans on Weibo good luck in the “Year of the Dragon.”

Several commenters suggested that “Year of the Ron” would be more appropriate, along with their own good wishes.

02:01

Winter storm brings Chinese tourists to cold rain and snow ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations

Winter storm brings Chinese tourists to cold rain and snow ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations

This call is in line with the wishes of Chinese President Xi Jinping. encourage cultural confidence And reject names and translations that are considered too Western or strange.

This resonated with the theme of an article in the Communist Party’s mouthpiece People’s Daily earlier in the week.

The article said that Western depictions of dragons as “fire-breathing treasure troves” are inspired by literature such as: beowulf – An Old English epic poem about a Scandinavian hero who slays dragons as well as monsters. He later dies from the dragon’s poison.

According to the report, dragons are also depicted in Greek mythology as ferocious sea monsters or guardians of valuable possessions.

“In contrast, the Chinese dragon is an auspicious creature, symbolizing strength, wisdom, good fortune, and power over the elements of wind and water,” the article states, adding that the first emperor of the former Han Dynasty He quoted a story by Liu Bang. (2 BC – 9 AD).

in Shijialso known as 2,000 Years of History records of great historiansthe emperor’s mother had a dream in which a dragon was lying on her body, foretelling the birth of the future emperor.

“Therefore, the Chinese proudly claim that they are descendants of the dragon,” said the People’s Daily article.

13:11

What will happen to your zodiac sign in the year of the Dragon?

What will happen to your zodiac sign in the year of the Dragon?

The state-run English-language news channel China World Television Network also published a mini-documentary, citing a “completely different understanding.” long In Eastern and Western cultures.

“In Eastern culture… long It is a symbol of compassion, confidence and energy, but in Western culture it is more of a winged creature that breathes fire,” said host Tian Wei.

Nevertheless, Western comics have featured a wider variety of dragons in recent decades.

For example, Disney created a Chinese-style dragon like Mushu in the movie. Mulan (1998), and Sith-like heroics raya and the last dragon (2021) as well as villains like Maleficent in sleeping beauty (1959) and Jabberwocky alice in wonderland (2010).

anime in 2021 wish dragon A co-production between China and the United States, it used Eastern and Western ideas about the creature and was released in both countries to generally positive reviews.



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