(East-West Question) Jin Longshou: How to break through the differences between the "Dragon Culture" between the East and the West and let the world know more about China?
China News Agency, Harbin, April 17th: How to break through the "dragon culture" difference between the East and the West and let the world know more about China?
——Interview with Jin Longshou, author of "The Legend of the Black Dragon"
China News Agency reporter Shi Yifu
"Dragon" means auspiciousness in the East, and "dragon" means evil in the West. What is the reason for this difference?
The author of "The Legend of the Black Dragon" Jin Longshou recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "Dongxi Wen", explaining the historical origin and profound connotation of "Dragon Culture", how to break through the "Dragon Culture" difference between the East and the West, and talk about China's "Dragon Culture". Interpretation of the myth of the dragon.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Agency reporter: What story does "The Legend of the Black Dragon" tell, and why did it take ten years to tell this Chinese myth story?
Jinlongshou:
Dragon culture runs through the development of the Chinese nation and reflects the spiritual connotation of Chinese culture.
The legend of the dragon spreads all over China, and the culture of the dragon affects the whole of China.
In the land of Heilongjiang, the myths and legends of the dragon are preached.
In order to tell Chinese myths and stories well, I spent ten years traveling all over Heilongjiang, visiting and researching, collecting materials, and determined to carry forward the excellent traditional culture in the form of telling good stories.
"The Legend of Heilong" traces the origin of the name of Heilongjiang, whose predecessor was called Bailongjiang.
In mythology, the white dragon often makes troubles, so that the village is withered and the people are in despair.
Heilong witnessed Bailong's various evil deeds in the world, and worked together with the people to rise up to resist and defeat Bailong in one fell swoop.
In the end, the black dragon appeared in the form of a fairy and dedicated its body to this land. People changed "Bailongjiang" to "Heilongjiang" to commemorate it.
The Heihe River section of the Heilongjiang River Basin.
Photo by Zhang Hui issued by China News Agency
China News Service reporter: What kind of development has China's "Dragon Culture" experienced and how does it relate to the development of Chinese civilization?
Jin Longshou:
Chinese scholars have different views on the origin and development of the dragon culture. Most of them believe that the dragon culture has experienced the development process of the worship consciousness of totems, gods, and emperors. Many cultural relics and sites have vividly restored the dragon culture.
China has inherited ancient culture, and it is inseparable from the development of Chinese civilization in terms of participation, integration, marking, inheritance and leadership.
"Participation" means that the dragon culture participated in the origin of Chinese civilization, and there are dragons in every period of history.
"Integration" refers to the fact that the dragon culture witnessed and integrated different ideas in different development periods of Chinese civilization.
"Sign" means that "dragon" has gradually become an irreplaceable symbol in the development of Chinese civilization. Dragon culture is Chinese culture, and Chinese people are descendants of dragons.
"Inheritance" means that the dragon culture carries and continues the national spirit accumulated over thousands of years.
It is united, harmonious and inclusive, pioneering and innovative, and self-improving. It has infinite centripetal force and cohesion, and always inspires Chinese people to work hard, be kind and tolerant, persevere through difficulties, and climb the peak bravely.
"Leading" means that in the future, the dragon culture will still go higher and farther with the Chinese nation.
The world outlook of the harmonious development of the Dragon Culture, the national outlook of unity and unity, the values of common prosperity and the cosmology of a community with a shared future for mankind will lead China to achieve common prosperity, long-term stability, prosperity and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
"Chinese Dragon" and photoelectric firework show.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Zhongjun
China News Service reporter: What is the difference between the cultural connotation of Chinese "dragon" and Western "dragon", and what causes such different attitudes?
Jinlongshou:
Chinese dragons originate from mythology and are spiritual and mysterious creatures with the body of a snake, the scales of a fish, and the horns of a deer.
"Book of Changes" says: "Nine five, the flying dragon is in the sky", the ancients believed that the dragon was the master of wind and rain, and "the real dragon and the emperor" was the name of the ancient emperor.
In the ancient constellations, among the four gods guarding the four directions of east, west, south and north, Qinglong belongs to a kind of dragon.
"Three Graves" says: "Dragon is good at changing, can cause clouds and rain, and it is also a thing for the king." The dragon in the folk means good luck, good luck and good weather. morality.
"dragon" in English is translated into Chinese as "dragon", but the meaning of Chinese dragon is completely different.
The word "dragon" comes from the Old French "dragon", which in turn comes from the Latin "draconem", which means huge snake.
In Western culture, people's impression of dragons first came from the "Bible", which described a big red dragon, showing people in an evil image, the incarnation of the devil Satan.
In "Beowulf", the protagonist Beowulf fights a fire-breathing dragon-shaped monster, continuing the demonic and sinful symbol of the dragon in Christianity.
Therefore, dragons are the objects of slaughter by heroes in Western mythology.
In addition, the difference lies in the difference between Chinese and Western ideology.
Due to the geographical environment and human development, Western countries tend to demonize and evilize nature or other forces to demonstrate and realize individual heroism.
In Chinese culture, the emphasis is on collectivism, which is inclusiveness, benevolence, and harmonious coexistence.
Traditional Chinese culture teaches us to discover the good and the beautiful and to be grateful.
Therefore, "Dragon" symbolizes the hard-working, kind and tolerant worldview of Chinese children.
China News Service reporter: How is the "Dragon Culture" reflected in Chinese social life? With the deepening of cultural exchanges between China and the West, what changes have taken place in the world's sense of identification with China's "Dragon Culture"?
Jinlongshou:
The dragon culture is rooted in the excellent traditional Chinese culture and can be described as ubiquitous.
First of all, Chinese dragons have derived traditional festivals and customs, such as the "dragon head up" on February 2, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival of ethnic minorities, and the Dragon Festival.
Another example is the Chinese zodiac, only the dragon does not exist in reality and is the sacred mascot of China.
Secondly, dragon totem is also the carrier of dragon culture inheritance for thousands of years.
From the patterns on jades, pottery, pictures, carvings, etc. unearthed in various periods in ancient China, to the works created by modern artists, no matter how the society develops and the world changes, the dragon totem will always be a symbol of greatness and respect in the hearts of the Chinese people. Dragon culture Rooted in the hearts of every Chinese, it is the fundamental source of the pride and sense of responsibility of the Chinese nation.
In addition, the "dragon" culture is also vividly reflected in Chinese.
For example, the idioms such as the spirit of the dragon and the horse, the crouching tiger, the hidden dragon, the dragon and the phoenix, and the hope that the child will become a dragon, etc., and the Chinese parents often use the word "dragon" when naming their children. .
With the in-depth exchanges between Chinese and Western cultures, the understanding of dragon culture around the world is gradually changing.
Foreign friends have grown from ignorance of dragon culture to curiosity to the current recognition and love, which reflects the charm and value of Chinese dragon culture.
This is also due to the dissemination of Chinese dragon culture by overseas Chinese, which reflects the patriotic feelings of Chinese sons and daughters, as well as their sense of mission and responsibility as "successors of the dragon".
The Gulf of Mexico International Dragon Boat Race in Houston, USA.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Huan
China News Service reporter: How to solve the Western misunderstanding of Chinese dragon culture?
Jinlongshou:
Westerners' misunderstanding of Chinese dragon culture stems from differences in cultural symbols and spiritual connotations.
Some experts and scholars have proposed to translate "dragon" into "loong" instead of "dragon", in order to reshape the image of the Chinese dragon.
In addition, we must tell Chinese myths and stories, especially the myths of the dragon culture, to publicize the excellent traditional Chinese culture and human history to the world, so that they can know and understand Chinese traditional culture.
China News Agency reporter: Gu Ailing has "Chinese Dragon" printed on her snowsuit. What is the significance of sharing Chinese dragon culture with the world?
Jin Longshou:
At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Gu Ailing can be said to be the "spokesperson" of Chinese dragon culture.
Chinese delicacies such as steamed buns, Peking duck, and leek boxes have become hot topics of public opinion, no matter whether they are on stage or after the competition, or before and after the competition. Foreign friends are drooling through her introduction.
In addition, on her racing uniform, snowboard and helmet, there are not only Chinese dragon patterns designed by herself, but also Chinese red, auspicious clouds and the English expressions of "dragon among people", which she said is for the whole world to see and understand Chinese culture.
Chinese player Gu Ailing is wearing a golden dragon pattern costume.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Mao Jianjun
In the Winter Olympics arena, she achieved good results of two golds and one silver, showing the Chinese people's qualities of empathy for the world, solidarity and friendship, perseverance, bravery, firm confidence, and courage to climb the peak.
She said that she is a bridge for exchanges between China and the United States, which is exactly the interpretation of the Chinese dragon culture, which is inclusive of all rivers, peaceful development, and a community of shared future.
I hope there will be more "spokespersons" of Chinese dragon culture like her, and I believe the world will have more objective evaluations of China.
(Finish)
Interviewee Profile:
Jin Longshou, a member of the Heilongjiang Writers Association, is the author of "The Legend of the Black Dragon".
Currently, Jin Longshou is in the process of translating the English version of "The Legend of the Black Dragon" and participating in the preparatory work for the animated film based on this.