Azure Dragon (Chinese constellation)
Encyclopedia
The Azure Dragon is one of the Four Symbols
of the Chinese constellations. It represents the east
and the spring
season. It should not be confused with the mythological yellow dragon
that is associated with the Emperor of China
. It is also referred to in media, feng shui
, other cultures, etc., as the Green Dragon and the Avalon Dragon.
It is known as Qinglong in Chinese, Seiryuu in Japanese, Cheongnyong in Korean, and Thanh Long in Vietnamese. It is sometimes called the Azure Dragon of the East .
within Azure Dragon. The names and determinative stars are:
), the White Tiger's star is reincarnated as General
Luo Cheng ( / ), who served Li Shimin
. The Azure Dragon's Star is reincarnated as General
Shan Xiongxin ( / ), who served Wang Shichong
. The two generals are sworn brothers of Qin Shubao
( / ), Cheng Zhijie ( / ) & Yuchi Jingde
( / ). After death, their souls are said to possess heroes of the Tang
& Liao
dynasties, such as Xue Rengui
( / ) & He Suwen .
In other legends, the Tang Dynasty
general Xue Rengui
is said to be the reincarnation of the White Tiger's Star. While his archenemy, General He Suwen of the Liao Dynasty
is said to be the reincarnation of the Azure Dragon's Star.
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.
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.
Four Symbols (Chinese constellation)
The Four Symbols are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are:*Azure Dragon of the East *Vermilion Bird of the South *White Tiger of the West *Black Tortoise of the North...
of the Chinese constellations. It represents the east
East
East is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.East is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of west and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the right side of a map is east....
and the spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
season. It should not be confused with the mythological yellow dragon
Huang Long (mythology)
Huang Long or 黄竜 is a hornless dragon who once emerged from the River Luo and presented the legendary Emperor Fu Xi with the elements of writing. According to legend, when it appeared before Fu Xi, it filled a hole in the sky made by the monster Gong Gong...
that is associated with the Emperor of China
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
. It is also referred to in media, feng shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
, other cultures, etc., as the Green Dragon and the Avalon Dragon.
It is known as Qinglong in Chinese, Seiryuu in Japanese, Cheongnyong in Korean, and Thanh Long in Vietnamese. It is sometimes called the Azure Dragon of the East .
The Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon
As the other three Symbols, there are seven "mansions", or positions, of the moonMoon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
within Azure Dragon. The names and determinative stars are:
| Mansion no. | Name (pinyin) | Translation | Determinative star |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 角 (Jiăo) | Horn Horn (Chinese constellation) The Horn mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the eastern mansions of the Azure Dragon.-Asterisms:... |
α Vir Spica Spica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, and the 15th brightest star in the nighttime sky. It is 260 light years distant from Earth... |
| 2 | 亢 (Kàng) | Neck Neck (Chinese constellation) The Neck mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the eastern mansions of the Azure Dragon.In Chinese Cosmology, the Kang Constellation is associated with the Kidney Organ... |
κ Vir Kappa Virginis Kappa Virginis is a star in the constellation Virgo.Kappa Virginis is an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +4.18. It is approximately 224 light years from Earth.... |
| 3 | 氐 (Dĭ) | Root Root (Chinese constellation) The Root mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the eastern mansions of the Azure Dragon.-Asterisms:... |
α Lib Alpha Librae Alpha Librae is the second brightest star in the constellation Libra . It has the traditional name Zubenelgenubi. The name, from Arabic الزبن الجنوبي , means "southern claw" and was coined before Libra was recognized as distinct from Scorpius... |
| 4 | 房 (Fáng) | Room Room (Chinese constellation) The Room mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the eastern mansions of the Azure Dragon.-Asterisms:... |
π Sco Pi Scorpii Pi Scorpii is a triple star system in the constellation Scorpius. It is approximately 459 light years from Earth.Pi Scorpii A is a contact binary of the Beta Lyrae type. Both its members are hot, blue-white B-type dwarfs. Together they have a mean apparent magnitude of +2.89. Their rotation... |
| 5 | 心 (Xīn) | Heart Heart (Chinese constellation) The Heart mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the eastern mansions of the Azure Dragon.-Asterisms:... |
σ Sco Sigma Scorpii Sigma Scorpii is a star system in the constellation Scorpius. It has the traditional name Al Niyat, although this name is sometimes also applied to Tau Scorpii, or to the asterism formed by both Sigma and Tau. Sigma Scorpii is 735 light years from the Sun.The primary component of the system,... |
| 6 | 尾 (Wěi) | Tail Tail (Chinese constellation) The Tail mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the eastern mansions of the Azure Dragon.- Asterisms :... |
μ Sco Mu Scorpii The Bayer designation Mu Scorpii is shared by two star systems, in the constellation Scorpius:* μ¹ Scorpii* μ² ScorpiiThey are separated by 0.1° in the sky.... |
| 7 | 箕 (Jī) | Winnowing Basket Winnowing Basket (Chinese constellation) The Winnowing Basket mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the eastern mansions of the Azure Dragon.-Asterisms:... |
γ Sgr Gamma Sagittarii Gamma Sagittarii is a 3rd-magnitude star in the constellation Sagittarius.It was temporarily referred to Gamma-2 Sagittarii . The Bayer designation "Gamma Sagittarii" was temporarily shared by two star systems in this constellation, γ1 Sagittarii and γ2 Sagittarii... |
Origin
In the novel Shuo Tang Yanyi (Tales of Tang DynastyTang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
), the White Tiger's star is reincarnated as General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Luo Cheng ( / ), who served Li Shimin
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
. The Azure Dragon's Star is reincarnated as General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Shan Xiongxin ( / ), who served Wang Shichong
Wang Shichong
Wang Shichong , courtesy name Xingman , was a general of the Chinese Sui Dynasty who deposed Sui's last emperor Yang Tong and briefly ruled as the emperor of a succeeding state of Zheng...
. The two generals are sworn brothers of Qin Shubao
Qin Shubao
Qin Shubao , formal name Qin Qiong but went by the courtesy name of Shubao, formally Duke Zhuang of Hu , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty whose bravery later caused him to be incorporated into Chinese folk religion as a door god, along with Yuchi Jingde.-During Sui Dynasty:It is...
( / ), Cheng Zhijie ( / ) & Yuchi Jingde
Yuchi Jingde
Yuchi Jingde , formal name Yuchi Gong but went by the courtesy name of Jingde, formally Duke Zhongwu of E , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty whose bravery later caused him to be incorporated into Chinese folk religion as a door god, along with Qin Shubao.-During Sui Dynasty:Yuchi...
( / ). After death, their souls are said to possess heroes of the Tang
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
& Liao
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
dynasties, such as Xue Rengui
Xue rengui
Xue Ren'gui , formal name Xue Li but went by the courtesy name of Rengui, was one of the most famous Chinese generals during the early Tang Dynasty, due to references to him in popular literature...
( / ) & He Suwen .
In other legends, the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
general Xue Rengui
Xue rengui
Xue Ren'gui , formal name Xue Li but went by the courtesy name of Rengui, was one of the most famous Chinese generals during the early Tang Dynasty, due to references to him in popular literature...
is said to be the reincarnation of the White Tiger's Star. While his archenemy, General He Suwen of the Liao Dynasty
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
is said to be the reincarnation of the Azure Dragon's Star.
Influence
In Japan, the Azure Dragon is one of the four guardian spirits of cities and is said to protect the city of KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
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
Kitora Tomb
The is an ancient tumulus located in the village of Asuka, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The tomb is believed to have been constructed some time between the 7th and early 8th centuries, but was only discovered in 1983....
was found in the village of Asuka
Asuka, Nara
is a village located in Takaichi District, Nara, Japan.As of September 1, 2007, the village has an estimated population of 6,146 and a density of 255.23 persons per km². The total area is 24.08 km².Asuka is the land where ancient palaces were located...
. 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.
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.
