Editor's note:
The Jade Rabbit bids farewell to the old year, and the Golden Dragon welcomes the New Year. Among the twelve Chinese zodiac signs, the dragon is the only fictitious mythical animal; in traditional Chinese culture, the dragon is a symbol with unique meanings.
The Year of the Dragon is approaching. China News Service's "East-West Question" has launched a series of "Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon" planning series since February 6. From the origin of the dragon in Hongshan culture to the evolution of the dragon in the Dunhuang Grottoes, from more than a hundred years Explore the cultural flavor behind the Spring Festival in the Year of the Dragon from how foreigners celebrated the Spring Festival in the past to why Chinese people at home and abroad are called "descendants of the dragon." Please stay tuned.
China News Service, Beijing, February 6th: Question: Speaking of dragons in the Year of the Dragon, how did the Chinese dragon culture originate, inherit and develop?
——Exclusive interview with Liu Guoxiang, Secretary-General of the Chinese Archaeological Society and researcher at the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
China News Service reporter Sun Zifa
2024 is the traditional Year of the Dragon for the Chinese nation. Although the dragon is the only zodiac sign that does not have a living animal among the twelve zodiac animals, as the "descendant of the dragon", people have a long history of love for the dragon. The dragon totem culture has been formed since prehistoric times. It continues to this day.
Where is the source of Chinese dragon culture? How is it inherited and developed? On the occasion of the New Year in the Year of the Dragon, Liu Guoxiang, secretary-general of the Chinese Archaeological Society and researcher at the Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" in Beijing to analyze and interpret this from an archaeological perspective.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
Reporter from China News Service: Judging from current archaeological research, where is the origin of the earliest image of the dragon? What are the representative archaeological remains?
Liu Guoxiang:
The Chinese dragon culture originated from the Western Liaohe River. The concept of dragon worship in the Western Liaoning region originated from the Xinglongwa Culture 8,000 years ago. There are two wild boar skulls placed opposite each other in the middle of the bottom of the pit No. 35 (H35) in the first site of the Xinglonggou site, and the S-shaped body is arranged with pottery shards, residual stone tools and natural stones. This is what archeology in western Liaoning can currently find. The earliest confirmed primitive form of a pig-headed dragon.
The stone pile dragon unearthed from the Chahai site in Fuxin, which also belongs to the Xinglongwa culture, is 19.7 meters long. It is the largest early dragon image ever discovered in China. Fragments of dragon-patterned pottery pots were also unearthed, which means that there are signs of dragon worship. The Xiliao River Basin began to appear.
The Xinglongwa site is located in Aohan Banner, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Photo by Sun Zifa
During the Zhaobaogou Culture period, which was about 7000 to 6400 years ago, a pig-headed dragon was carved on a pottery Zun-shaped vessel unearthed from the Aohan Hill site. The long snout and tusks on the head were realistically represented, while the body was It has an abstract S-shaped curl, with wings flying backwards engraved at the junction of the head and body. It is the earliest known image of a pig-headed dragon in western Liaoning.
A pig-headed dragon was engraved on a pottery Zun-shaped vessel unearthed from the Aohan Xiaoshan site. Photo provided by interviewee
The dragon-shaped clam decoration unearthed from the Chifeng Caitaopo site is a relic from the early stage of the Hongshan Culture about 6,000 years ago. It consists of at least a head, body, and tail. The modeling technique is delicate and realistic, and the teeth, tail and other parts have subtle carvings. , the shape is the image of a dragon with its body stretched out. In the middle and late period of the Hongshan Culture, two types of dragon-shaped jades appeared: C-shaped jade dragon and jade pig dragon. At this point, the dragon worship of Chinese dragon culture in western Liaoning has entered a mature stage.
Dragon-shaped clam ornaments unearthed from the Chifeng Painted Pottery Slope Site. Photo provided by interviewee
China News Service Reporter: Why is the C-shaped Jasper Dragon of the Hongshan Culture unearthed from Wengniute Banner in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia known as "China's First Dragon"? What are the far-reaching impacts?
Liu Guoxiang:
The C-shaped jasper dragon of the Hongshan Culture, now in the National Museum of China, is 26 centimeters high. It is carved from dark green Xiuyan jade. The whole body is curled into a C shape. It has a vivid and unique shape and exquisite carving. The discovery of the C-shaped jasper dragon of the Hongshan Culture had an important impact on the shape of the jade dragon during the Warring States, Qin and Han Dynasties, and provided answers to many questions about dragons in archaeology. Therefore, although relics of earlier dragon cultures have since been discovered, the status of the C-shaped jasper dragon of the Hongshan Culture as the "first dragon in China" is unquestionable.
There is a small hole in the middle of the body of the C-shaped jasper dragon from the Hongshan Culture. As long as a thread is passed through the small hole and then suspended, the dragon's head and tail will be on the same level. This shows the exquisite craftsmanship and its academic and artistic value. Metaphor.
This jasper dragon has a shape that resembles the word "dragon" in oracle bone inscriptions. It is the largest and highest-level relic among the jade artifacts of the Hongshan Culture discovered so far. Its age is roughly equivalent to the middle period of the Hongshan Culture, indicating that the dragon totem worship in the Xiliao River Basin at this time had already begun. Basically formed, it is an important symbol of Chinese dragon culture and jade culture, and has wide recognition and influence around the world.
The Hongshan Jade Dragon has fluttering horns, symbolizing wings of flight, and obvious tusks, which should be the prototype of a wild boar; there are fine grid patterns on the forehead and lower jaw. The dragon-shaped jade ring unearthed from the Han Dynasty Tomb in Tianchangjiangwei, Anhui Province, is obviously inherited from the C-shaped jade dragon of the Hongshan Culture, especially the flying hooks. The grid pattern of the dragon from the Warring States Period to the Tang Dynasty also has the legacy of the Hongshan Jade Dragon.
The "first dragon in China" unearthed from Wengniute Banner in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia - the C-shaped jasper dragon of the Hongshan Culture. Photo provided by interviewee
Reporter from China News Service: In addition to "China's First Dragon", what other important dragon totem remains are there in Hongshan Culture? What influence did the Hongshan Jade Dragon have on the development of jade carving craftsmanship and dragon worship customs in later generations?
Liu Guoxiang:
In the late Hongshan Culture, the belief system and sacrificial ritual system matured, forming the representative dragon totem worship, ancestor worship and heaven and earth worship. In addition to the C-shaped jasper dragon, representative relics of dragon totem worship during this period include the C-shaped yellow jade dragon, the dragon and phoenix pendant from the Niuheliang site, and the typical jade pig dragon of the Hongshan Culture.
During the Hongshan Culture period, dry farming occupied a dominant position in the subsistence economy in western Liaoning. The western Liaoning area was mostly mountainous and hilly, and drought was the main factor that troubled agricultural production. Praying for rain should be a religious ceremony held by the ancestors of the Hongshan Culture. One of the important contents of sacrificial activities. Therefore, the appearance of C-shaped jade dragons and jade pig dragons during the Hongshan Culture period should be closely related to the development of dry farming in western Liaoning and the corresponding rain praying activities. Their modeling features and functions have played an important role in the carving of jade dragons and the worship of dragons in the Shang and Zhou dynasties and later generations. The development of etiquette and customs has had an important impact.
In addition, the Hongshan Culture has continued the tradition of carving and using jade since the Xinglongwa Culture. The technology of jade carving has been significantly improved. Jade carving techniques such as drilling, wire cutting, round carving, and intaglio have become mature. C-shaped dragons, pig-headed dragons and other shapes have been developed. The unique jade has become the iconic artifact of the Hongshan culture. The accurate grasp of the animal body and the meticulous carving show the superb wisdom and craftsmanship of the Hongshan ancestors, and represent the first peak of the development of China's prehistoric jade culture.
Visitors admire the "jade-shaped dragon" of Hongshan Culture. Photo by Zhang Yun
Reporter from China News Service: In prehistoric times, what interactions did the Chinese dragon totem have among the Hongshan Culture, Yangshao Culture, Lingjiatan Culture, Liangzhu Culture, Longshan Culture, Shimao Culture, etc.?
Liu Guoxiang:
From the late Songze Culture to the early Liangzhu Culture, the curled-up jade dragons that appeared in northern Zhejiang should have been influenced by the jade pig dragons of the Hongshan Culture. The rhombus pattern in the dragon head bracelets of the Liangzhu Culture first originated from Zhaobaogou in western Liaoning. This kind of diamond-shaped decoration is also reflected in the dragon-patterned forehead on the late Shang Dynasty bronze tiger-eating beast on the stone cups unearthed from the culture.
The curled-up jade dragons and dragon-head-shaped jade artifacts from the Lingjiatan Culture have certain similarities with the C-shaped jade dragons and jade pig dragon heads from the Hongshan Culture, which is closely related to the custom of worshiping pigs in both. But overall, the differences between Lingjiatan Culture and the Yulong Culture of Hongshan Culture outweigh their commonalities.
The three groups of dragon figures unearthed from the Puyang Xishuipo site of the Yangshao Culture should belong to different cultural systems from the jade dragons of the Hongshan Culture, Liangzhu Culture, and Lingjiatan Culture. This also shows that the dragon culture The origins and early stages of development should be diverse.
There is another type of dragon pattern in the Yangshao culture that may have evolved from the fish pattern system. Its fish-shaped head is square, and it initially has the image of a dragon head. A small-mouth, high-collar, flat-bottomed vase was unearthed from the Xiping site in Gansu, Gansu, and its belly was painted There is a large salamander pattern with an open mouth and an open mouth, which influenced the dragon pattern of Taosi and the turquoise dragon of Erlitou. Its characteristics are close to the dragon patterns of tiger-eating beasts on bronzes of the Shang Dynasty, which shows that the Chinese dragon culture has spread in the Central Plains. Continuity of regional heritage.
A flat-bottomed vase with a small mouth and a high collar was unearthed from the Xiping site in Gangu, Gansu Province. Its belly is painted with a pattern of a large salamander with an open mouth and an open mouth. Photo provided by interviewee
On the stone carvings unearthed from the Shimao site about 4300 to 3800 years ago, two symmetrical dragon-shaped patterns are carved, which are similar in shape to the Erlitou turquoise dragon. There are also stone carvings with dragon patterns and Erlitou turquoise bronze medals. The dragon patterns are similar. In terms of physical characteristics, the dragon patterns of Shimao Culture and Erlitou Culture seem to be more closely related to the dragon pattern system of Yangshao Culture. At the same time, they also integrate a variety of animal characteristics to form a more mature dragon totem image.
Dragon patterns on pottery plates were found in many large tombs at the Taosi site in Shanxi. The scale patterns on the dragon tattoos are similar to the dragon patterns at the Beishouling site in Baoji of the Yangshao Culture. The curled body is in the style of the curled-up jade dragon of the Hongshan Culture, indicating that During the Longshan Culture period about 4,000 years ago, dragon patterns began to gradually integrate styles from various places.
A turquoise dragon was unearthed from the Erlitou site. Photo by Sun Zifa
A turquoise dragon-patterned plaque was unearthed from the Erlitou site. Photo by Sun Zifa
China News Service reporter: In prehistoric and historical periods, what kind of communication, integration, inheritance and development has the image of the Chinese dragon experienced?
Liu Guoxiang:
From an archaeological perspective, the image of the Chinese dragon is a prototype that is a blend of wild boars, crocodiles, fish, snakes, lizards and other animals. It was conceived from prehistoric times to the integration and development of historical periods. Its formation and evolution The process is a true reflection of the pluralistic and integrated development pattern of Chinese civilization.
After thousands of years of creation, evolution and integration, dragon worship has finally been sublimated into the spiritual symbol, cultural mark, belief carrier and emotional bond of the Chinese nation. After a long period of development, the image of dragons continued to develop and enrich during the Han and Tang Dynasties. A large number of related creations appeared on various carriers such as murals, portrait stones, and tiles. The cultural connotation related to dragons became increasingly clear.
In the Southern Song Dynasty, the "Suo Weng Dragon" painted by the painter Chen Rong (also known as Suo Weng) became a model for future generations to draw dragons. "Suoweng Dragon" has forked dragon horns, round eyes, open dragon mouth, sharp teeth, flying dragon whiskers, thick and powerful dragon body, and sharp dragon claws. It leaps over the mountains, Shutting between the clouds and swimming in the waves, the image of the Chinese dragon becomes more complete.
In February 2024, the audience visited the gilt dragon head from the Northern Qi Dynasty on display in Shanxi Museum. Photo by Wei Liang
Reporter from China News Service: From an archaeological perspective, what is the connection between the Chinese nation being called the "descendants of the dragon" and the dragon totem worship? What contribution does Chinese dragon culture make to the origin, formation, and development of Chinese civilization?
Liu Guoxiang:
The ancient Chinese have given the dragon a sacred meaning since they created it. This concept has been passed down from generation to generation. The dragon has become a consensus as a symbol and symbol of the Chinese nation. We also call ourselves "descendants of the dragon."
Dragon worship has been closely related to praying for rain since the formation of Hongshan Culture. The formation of Chinese civilization mainly relied on agricultural development. Rainwater is extremely important for agricultural production. Therefore, the dragon, as the main rain god, has naturally become a very important part of Chinese culture. of gods.
At the same time, since its formation in the Neolithic Age, dragon totems have continued to integrate on the basis of local styles. China has been a unified multi-ethnic country since ancient times. If you want to choose an animal totem to represent this unified country that is constantly integrating and developing, the dragon is more suitable.
In February 2024, a giant dragon lantern was unveiled at the 37th New Year Lantern Festival of Xi'an City Wall in Xi'an, Shaanxi. Photo by Zhang Yuan
The Chinese dragon has experienced the development of diversity and integration. Its origin is in the Western Liao River. It has a coherent development path. Later, it appeared in the Central Plains region, the Yangtze River Basin and other places. It runs through the entire process of the origin, formation and early development of Chinese civilization. It is a symbol of the diversity of China. Part of culture and national spiritual beliefs, it plays a role in maintaining social stability, promoting agricultural development, and accelerating the process and evolution of civilization in various places, becoming the unique and most representative spiritual beliefs of the Chinese nation. (over)
Interviewee profile:
Researcher Liu Guoxiang compares and displays and introduces the inheritance relationship between the C-shaped jasper dragon (left) of the Hongshan Culture and the dragon-shaped jade ring of the Western Han Dynasty. Photo by Sun Zifa
Liu Guoxiang, a second-level researcher and doctoral supervisor at the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, is an expert on Hongshan culture and jade culture. He is a national-level candidate for the New Century Talents Project and a national-level young and middle-aged expert with outstanding contributions. He serves as the Secretary-General of the Chinese Archaeological Society, the Executive Deputy Director of the Public Archeology Steering Committee of the Chinese Archaeological Society, and the Vice-President of the Chinese Jade Culture Research Society.