![]() ![]() Each animal has its own unique characteristics. There are 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac calendar, starting with the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. In the Western zodiac calendar each animal is for a month with 12 zodiac signs for a year. In the Chinese zodiac calendar there are 12 animals for each year, in a cycle of 12 years. The Chinese greet each other by saying “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (pronounced goon si fa sai), which means “may you be blessed with prosperity”. This Chinese New Year is “The Year of the Dog”. The West and East saw the same dragon differently. The West took awhile to understand the difference. ![]() Incidentally, Chinese movies named Enter the Dragon, Way of the Dragon, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon were popular. Children are named dragon, actors such as Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee were given Chinese names as dragon. For the Chinese, dragon festivals with dragon boat races, and dragon dances are part of their culture. Only Emperors and high Mandarins were allowed to wear robes depicting Dragon motifs. Over the centuries, the Chinese Dragon was associated with the Emperor of China. The Western Dragon breathed fire, the Chinese Dragon brings rain. While ‘Western Dragons’ lived in castles and caves the Chinese dragon lived in the sea, rivers, and lakes. The Chinese people believe that they are the descendants of the dragon. Dragon for the Chinese is “strength and good fortune”. In ancient China, the ‘Chinese Dragons’ are legendary creatures that are benevolent. Similarly, Heracles slays another dragon called Lerneaen Hydra. Greek mythology had a 100-headed dragon that was slain by Heracles. Westerners see the dragon as a fire-breathing evil being. ![]()
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