Depictions
China
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While dragon-like entities have been present in multiple cultures throughout the history of Eastern Asia, many of them can be traced back to the depictions explored in Chinese folklore. Unlike western dragons, which are shown as fire-breathing lizards with bat-like wings, the Chinese dragon is more snake-like and wingless with bearded faces. According to Henri Doré, there are nine characteristics that make the Chinese dragon authentic (Doré, 1917):
1. The horns of a deer
2. The head of a camel
3. A demon's eyes
4. The neck of a snake
5. A tortoise's viscera
6. A hawk's eyes
7. The palms of a tiger
8. A cow's ears
9. It must hear through its horns, as its ears are deaf
Obviously, dragons are associated with the natural world, considering how many animals their physical characteristics were taken from. However, dragons were also viewed as mythical and celestial creatures, who possessed great power over the elements of water and air. Often, they were believed to have similar levels of power as gods, or were even worshipped as gods themselves. Some emperors would even claim to have be descended from dragons, in an attempt to make themselves appear more powerful (Visser, 1913).
Association With Water
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One of the most established roles of dragons in Chinese folklore was their control over the water element. For most of China's history, agriculture was one of their most important industries, considering how food importing was not a viable option for feeding the entire population. Consequently, a successful harvest was essential, which would be determined by how much rain fell each year. By praying to and giving yearly offerings to dragons, villagers hoped that their crops would receive enough water to achieve that
successful harvest. (Zhao, 1989).
Like water itself, dragons were associated with both positive and negative natural occurrences. As stated previously, dragons were considered in charge of the rain cycle, which is beneficial for everyone. On the other hand though, dragons were also viewed as in control of water related natural disasters, such as flooding or extreme storms.
Kings vs Gods
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Despite sharing physical characteristics and some personality traits, the depiction of dragons in local folklore was somewhat different from their depiction in the overarching mythology. Though "mythological" dragons were considered much more powerful and divine, they were also more abstract, existing mostly as a representation of certain ideals or messages. With "local" dragons though, they were usually assigned as the ruler of a nearby river, which a village would use for agriculture. These dragons tended to possess more imperfect human qualities, but were also seen as a concrete figure, prompting many villages to build specific shrines and monuments in their Dragon-King's honor (Zhao, 1989).
Japan
For the most part, Japanese depictions of dragons were mainly taken from Chinese folklore, to the point where they are often indistinguishable from each other. They are both snakelike in appearance, associated with the water elements, and a symbol of great power. The main difference is that Japanese dragons are usually drawn with three claws per foot, while Chinese dragons will usually have four to five. Another difference is that it is more common than with Chinese dragons for them to be portrayed as villainous, though the vast majority are still seen as benevolent (Rosen, 2009).
Vietnam
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Once again, the depiction of dragons (called rông) in Vietnamese folklore is very similar to the depictions in Chinese folklore. Unlike Chinese dragons though, who were claimed by emperors but not directly tied to them, rông are explicitly associated with nobility. This is established in one of Vietnam's core myths, where a marriage between a dragon and a fairy produced 100 sons, the first born of which becoming the country's first King (Gallop, 2017). Additionally, the rông is often depicted with twelve distinct segments, which are meant to symbolize the 12 months of the year. (Rosen, 2009).
