Dragons in Chinese tradition — and today

The Chinese dragon has long been associated with the Emperor of China, and by extension China itself. The coming Year of the Dragon this Lunar New Year is a reminder of how the dragon is a significant and auspicious symbol for people all over the world — from Bendigo to Shanghai.

Doug Lougoon is President of the Bendigo Chinese Association, which owns the world's longest processional dragon. Doug's grandfather migrated to Bendigo in the 1880s.

Dr Hongyan Chen is Associate Professor at the institute of International and Comparative Education at the East China Normal University in Shanghai. In 2018 she published the paper, The Metaphor of the Dragon in Chinese Culture

Special thanks to the Bendigo Easter Fair Society for permission to use audio from the 2019 Easter Fair, when the new dragon, Dai Gum Loong, was introduced to his predecessors, Loong, Yar Loong and Sun Loong. You can watch the parade on YouTube.

Further listening
Re-enchanting China: The resurgence of popular religion, on Soul Search.