Chinese Zodiacs and Astrology

Objects worshiped by people in ancient China are numerous and sundry. Dragon worship is one of th many such famous gods of China. The Chinese dragon is said to have the head of a camel, the horns of a deer, the eyes of a rabbit, the ears of a cow, the neck of a snake, the belly of fog, the scales of a carp, the claws of a hawk, and the palm of a tiger. It has whiskers and a beard, and is deaf. It is generally regarded as benevolent but is also the source of thunder and lightning.

China is the birthplace of dragon culture. This has been shown by relics of the Neolithic Age discovered in the Yellow River, Yangtze River and Liaohe River Basins. The first discovery occurred in Chifeng in Inner Mongolia, and in Yulong, in northeast China's Liaoning Province. Archaeologists found dragons depicted on pottery. This gave rise to serious study of dragon culture. Dragons from the Liaohe River Basin have the head of a pig and body of a snake, but no horns. They are a typical dragon pattern with local variations. They reveal the origin on the dragon culture.

Chinese ancestor's worship of the dragon dates back to early primitive times. Chinese people claim to be the offspring of the dragon on the basis of the legendary figure, Fuxi. Fuxi is generally acknowledged as the earliest ancestor of Chinese nation. He's said to have had a human head, and the body of a dragon. He lived in northwest China's Gansu Province. Later, he led his tribe down the Yellow River and settled in central China. He created weaving and musical instrument skills. Even the "Eight Diagrams" are said to have been worked out by him.

Years after his death, a magnificent tomb and temple were built in his honor in his burial place, today's Huaiyang County. Because of this, Huaiyang gets the name" Dragon City". Today, on the second day of February in Lunar Calendar, thousands of people will go to Huaiyang to worship Fuxi. People hope to be protected by the spirit of the dragon.

In some Chinese legends, an Emperor might be born with a birthmark in the shape of a dragon. For example, one legend tells the tale of a peasant born with a dragon birthmark who eventually overthrows the existing dynasty and founds a new one; another legend might tell of the prince in hiding from his enemies who is identified by his dragon birthmark.