Azure Dragon

	Azure Dragon
	The Azure Dragon on the national flag of China during the Qing dynasty, 1889-1912
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	青龍
Simplified Chinese	青龙
Literal meaning	Bluegreen Dragon
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Qīnglóng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Cheng1 Lung4
Jyutping	Ceng1 Lung4
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ	Chheⁿ-lêng or Chhiⁿ-lêng
Korean name
Hangul	청룡
Hanja	靑龍
Transcriptions
Revised Romanization	Cheong-nyong
Japanese name
Kanji	青竜
Hiragana	せいりゅう
Transcriptions
Revised Hepburn	Seiryū
Kunrei-shiki	Seiryuu

The Azure Dragon on the Chinese national emblem, 1913-1928

The Azure Dragon (青龍 Qīnglóng), also known as Bluegreen Dragon, Green Dragon, or also called the Blue Dragon (蒼龍 Cānglóng), is one of the Dragon Gods who represent the mount or chthonic forces of the Five Forms of the Highest Deity (五方上帝 Wǔfāng Shàngdì). He is also one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations, which are the astral representations of the Wufang Shangdi. The Bluegreen Dragon represents the east and the spring season.^[1] It is also known as Seiryu in Japanese and Cheong-nyong in Korean.

The Dragon is frequently referred to in media, feng shui, other cultures, and in various venues as the Green Dragon and the Avalon Dragon.^[2] His cardinal direction's epithet is "Bluegreen Dragon of the East" (東方青龍 Dōngfāng Qīnglóng or 東方蒼龍 Dōngfāng Cānglóng).

The Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon

As the other three Symbols, there are seven "mansions", or positions, of the moon within Azure Dragon. The names and determinative stars are:^[3]^[4]

Mansion no.	Name (pinyin)	Translation	Determinative star
1	角 (Jiăo)	Horn	Spica
2	亢 (Kàng)	Neck	κ Vir
3	氐 (Dĭ)	Root	α Lib
4	房 (Fáng)	Room	π Sco
5	心 (Xīn)	Heart	Antares
6	尾 (Wěi)	Tail	μ Sco
7	箕 (Jī)	Winnowing Basket	γ Sgr

Cultural depictions

The Azure Dragon on a road marker at Yangshan Quarry

In the Romance of the Tales of the Tang (Shuo Tang Yanyi), the White Tiger's star is reincarnated as General Luo Cheng (Chinese: 羅成 / Chinese: 罗成), who serves Li Shimin. The Azure Dragon's Star is reincarnated as General Shan Xiongxin (Chinese: 單雄信 / Chinese: 单雄信), who serves Wang Shichong. The two generals are sworn brothers of Qin Shubao (Chinese: 秦叔寶 / Chinese: 秦叔宝), Cheng Zhijie (Chinese: 程知節 / Chinese: 程知节) and Yuchi Gong (Chinese: 尉遲恭 / Chinese: 尉迟恭). After death, their souls are said to possess heroes of the Tang dynasty and Goguryeo, such as Xue Rengui (Chinese: 薛仁貴 / Chinese: 薛仁贵) and Yeon Gaesomun (Chinese: 淵蓋蘇文).

The Azure Dragon appears as a door god at Taoist temples. He was represented on the tomb of Wang Hui (stone coffin, east side) at Xikang in Lushan. A rubbing of this was collected by David Crockett Graham and is in the Field Museum of Natural History.^[5]^[6] The dragon featured on the Chinese national flag in 1862-1912, and on the Twelve Symbols national emblem from 1913-1928.

Influence

Azure Dragon presiding the ablution well of the Shinto Heian Shrine in Japan.

Japan

In Japan, the Blue-green Dragon is one of the four guardian spirits of cities and is said to protect the city of Kyoto on the east. The west is protected by the White Tiger, the north is protected by the Black Tortoise, the south is protected by the Vermilion Bird, and the center is protected by the Yellow Dragon. In Kyoto there are temples dedicated to each of these guardian spirits. The Azure Dragon is represented in the Kiyomizu Temple in eastern Kyoto. Before the entrance of the temple there is a statue of the dragon which is said to drink from the waterfall within the temple complex at nighttime. Therefore, each year a ceremony is held to worship the dragon of the east. In 1983, the Kitora Tomb was found in the village of Asuka. All four guardians were painted on the walls (in the corresponding directions) and a system of the constellations was painted on the ceiling. This is one of the few ancient records of the four guardians.

Korea

In Korea, the murals of the Goguryeo tombs found at Uhyon-ni in South Pyongan province features the Azure Dragon and the other mythological creatures of the four symbols.^[7]

Gallery

The Azure Dragon mural depiction at the Goguryeo Tombs.

Depiction of the Bluegreen Dragon on a tile.

The Azure Dragon by a fountain in Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto.

In popular culture

In the mobile game Puzzle & Dragons, the Azure Dragon is known as "Incarnation of Seiryuu, Karin" with a woman who appears with a blue dragon tail.
In the first 3 Beyblade series from Japan, the Azure Dragon is known as Dragoon, and belongs to the protagonist Takao Kinomiya (Tyson Granger in the English dub).
In B-Daman Fireblast, Riki Ryugasaki (who was previously the main character for B-Daman Crossfire) owns Rising Dracyan (upgraded from Thunder Dracyan), whose B-Animal is the Azure Dragon of the East.
In the Digimon series, Azulongmon is designed after the Azure Dragon.
In the Fushigi Yugi series Yui Hongo was transported to Universe of Four Gods where she became the Priestess of Seiryu.
In the video game Final Fantasy Type-0 the Azure Dragon is the name of one of the four Crystals of Orience, representing the Kingdom of Concordia.
In the video game World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria the character of Yulon, the Jade Serpent, is heavily inspired by the Azure Dragon.
In the video game RuneScape there is an island chain heavily influenced by Buddhism, complete with followers of Seiryu, who will be featured as a boss in an upcoming update.
In the video game Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate the monster Azure Rathalos, a variation of the regular Rathalos, is inspired by the Azure Dragon.
In the video game series Yakuza (龍が如く Ryū ga Gotoku) the character Kazuma Kiryu (桐生一馬 Kiryū Kazuma) has an Azure Dragon as a tattoo on his back.
In the anime Akatsuki No Yona, the character Shin-ah is the dragon warrior seiryuu.
In the video game Sega Golden Gun, the Azure Dragon, represented by Gao Qiu, is a boss. Its weak point is Gao Qiu himself.
In the video game Age of Mythology: Tale of the Dragon, Azure Dragons, available to Ao Kuang, are firebreathing myth units that can travel on both land and water.
In the series Blue Dragon, the character Shu has a shadow monster that represents similar to the Azure Dragon.
In the Persona series (and other Shin Megami Tensei works), Seiryu is a persona (or demon/devil/beast) that the protagonist can acquire.
In the video game Overwatch 2018 Chinese New Year (Year of the Dog) event, the character, Pharah, has a cosmetic skin that represents the Azure Dragon.

References

Citations

↑ Tom (1989), p. 55.
↑ Lee, Ki-Baik; Wagner, Edward W. (1984). A new history of Korea (Translated ed.). Cambridge / Seoul: Harvard University Press / Ilchokak. ISBN 978-0-674-61576-2.
↑ "The Chinese Sky". International Dunhuang Project. Archived from the original on 2015-11-04. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
↑ Sun, Xiaochun (1997). Helaine Selin, ed. Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Kluwer Academic Publishers. p. 517. ISBN 0-7923-4066-3. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
↑ Starr, Kenneth (December 1957). "Gift of Chinese Rubbings goes on Special Exhibition" (PDF). Chicago Natural History Museum Bulletin. Field Museum of Natural History: 4–5. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
↑ Walravens, Hartmut; Hoshien Tchen; Kenneth Starr; Alice K. Schneider (1981). Catalogue of Chinese Rubbings from Field Museum. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History. OCLC 185544225. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
↑ Lee, Ki-Baik; Wagner, Edward W. (1984). A new history of Korea (Translated ed.). Cambridge / Seoul: Harvard University Press / Ilchokak. ISBN 978-0-674-61576-2.

Sources

Tom, K. S. (1989). Echoes from Old China: Life, Legends, and Lore of the Middle Kingdom. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0824812859.

External links

Media related to Azure Dragon at Wikimedia Commons

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[FOOTNOTETom198955-1] Tom (1989), p. 55.

[2] Lee, Ki-Baik; Wagner, Edward W. (1984). A new history of Korea (Translated ed.). Cambridge / Seoul: Harvard University Press / Ilchokak. ISBN 978-0-674-61576-2.

[3] "The Chinese Sky". International Dunhuang Project. Archived from the original on 2015-11-04. Retrieved 2011-06-25.

[4] Sun, Xiaochun (1997). Helaine Selin, ed. Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Kluwer Academic Publishers. p. 517. ISBN 0-7923-4066-3. Retrieved 2011-06-25.

[5] Starr, Kenneth (December 1957). "Gift of Chinese Rubbings goes on Special Exhibition" (PDF). Chicago Natural History Museum Bulletin. Field Museum of Natural History: 4–5. Retrieved 1 March 2012.

[6] Walravens, Hartmut; Hoshien Tchen; Kenneth Starr; Alice K. Schneider (1981). Catalogue of Chinese Rubbings from Field Museum. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History. OCLC 185544225. Retrieved 2 March 2012.

[7] Lee, Ki-Baik; Wagner, Edward W. (1984). A new history of Korea (Translated ed.). Cambridge / Seoul: Harvard University Press / Ilchokak. ISBN 978-0-674-61576-2.