China totem

In China culture, dragons have an important position and influence. From the Neolithic Age more than 7,000 years ago, ancestors worshipped the primitive dragon totem, and today people still use idioms or allusions with the word "dragon" to describe the beautiful things in life. For thousands of years, dragons have penetrated into all aspects of China society and become a kind of cultural cohesion and accumulation. Dragon has become a symbol of China, the Chinese nation and China culture. For every Chinese descendant, the image of the dragon is a symbol, a mood, and a feeling of flesh and blood! The names "Descendants of the Dragon" and "Descendants of the Dragon" often make us excited, energetic and proud. Besides spreading and inheriting in China, Dragon Culture has also been brought to all parts of the world by overseas Chinese. In China residential areas or in China, dragons are still the most eye-catching decorations. Therefore, "Descendants of the Dragon" and "Dragon Country" have also been recognized by the world.

As a descendant of the dragon, you can't know nothing about the dragon culture in China. Without understanding the dragon culture, it is impossible to understand the ancient civilization of China. What is the prototype of the dragon? How did the concept of dragon come into being? How did its image and cultural meaning develop and change? What influence does the dragon have on China culture? These problems have been puzzling people in different ways since ancient times, and they have not all been solved so far, giving people a confusing feeling.

Here, we will trace back to the dragon, enter the ancient history and dragon world, and understand and explore the mystery of the dragon. ...

Dragon Boat Festival

Various customs of praying for dragons have led to the formation of dragon festivals and temple fairs.

There is a Dragon Boat Festival or a temple fair almost every month throughout the year, sometimes many times a month. Some of these festivals and temple fairs belong to a certain ethnic group and some belong to a certain ethnic group; Some belong to a certain region, and some belong to multiple regions; It also integrates prayer, education, production and entertainment, which embodies a strong folk culture.

Let's introduce the festivals and temple fairs of these dragons according to the lunar calendar:

In the first month of the lunar calendar, there are almost dragon lantern festivals in the north and south of the Yangtze River, up and down the Yellow River, mountain towns and beaches, and land ports and water towns. Also known as "dragon lantern making", "dragon lantern", "dragon lantern dancing", "dragon lantern dropping" and "dragon lantern beating". In addition, there is a "dragon head festival" on the fifth day of the first month. This is a traditional festival of Yao nationality in Dayaoshan area of Hekou, Yunnan Province. On this day, local people will offer various sacrifices to the Dragon King. The first day of the first month is the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Hani people in Honghe hold a grand ritual activity in the village. The ceremony was presided over by a respected old man in the village, the dragon head, and the altar was set under the dragon tree. Families buy their own sacrificial supplies such as pigs, chickens and ducks, and all the men in the family go to sacrifice. Production was suspended for three days during the festival, and on the first afternoon after the festival, all households sent people to take wine and meat to the "leading" home for dinner to show their gratitude. Similar to the Dragon Boat Festival of the Hani nationality, the Jino nationality also has a "dragon festival" festival. At that time, the village will stop production for three days, and two wooden stakes will be erected at the entrance of the village, indicating that it is forbidden to enter and leave. On the first day, women were not allowed to leave the village or even the house. Set up a temporary straw shed near the village. There is a big tree in front of the straw shed. Under the tree, a buffalo was slaughtered, a sow and seven piglets were killed by the pond. The cow's tail is hung on the big tree, and the pig's bone is provided by the pond.

From the 13th to 15th of the first month, there is a "Dragon Boat Festival" in Wuchang, Hubei Province, which takes the form of dragon dancing, dragon burning and tug-of-war competition-symbolizing dragons with ropes. In addition, during the Spring Festival, there are Longtan Temple Fair held in longtan lake Park and Longqingxia Ice Lantern Festival held in Longqingxia. These temple fairs and lantern festivals are not only related to dragons in name, but also related to dragons in content, such as dragon dancing, dragon racing and dragon lantern modeling.

Between January and February, there is a "Dragon Pool Festival". This is a traditional festival of Pumi people in Lanping, Yunnan (Pumi people in Ninglang are usually held in March and July). Every Pumi family has its own "Longtan" (also known as "Lingquan"), most of which are located in deep forests and canyons. Then the whole family will go together and stay near Longtan for three days. They built a high platform with wooden sticks and boards, which is called "Long Ta" or "Dragon Palace". A pole with a length of 100 feet was erected in front of the tower, and seven buckets made of chicken feathers and hemp thread were hung on it as the residence of the dragon god. Sacrifices such as milk, sake, ghee, milk cake, tea, eggs, etc. Was placed on a long Ta. First, the wizard was invited to the altar to recite the scriptures, and then the whole family prayed. After the prayer, 50 dough figurines coated with ghee were put into Longtan. After all the sacrifices are over, the whole village will hold a bigger sacrifice.

The first day of February is the Spring Festival. In the past, villagers in Huimin, Shandong Province used the ashes of the kitchen as Jackie Chan to pray for good luck. There is a record in "China National Customs": "The first day of February is the Qinglong Festival, and things around the stove are like dragons and snakes, so it is called Yin Qianlong. 』

The second day of February is the Dragon Head Festival. This is a traditional festival of the Han nationality, with a wide coverage and great influence. Pan Rongbi, a scholar in A Qing, wrote in Chronicle of Jingdi: "The second day of the second lunar month is the day when dragons rise. Villagers use soot to blow into the kitchen from the outside and spin around the water tank. This is called bringing the dragon back. People use millet flour, jujube cake, wheat and rice to fry food, which is called fumigation. On this day, the custom of eating fried beans is generally popular in rural areas in the north. There is a legend that "on February 2, the dragon looks up", and there is also a folk saying that "the dragon looks up to see the dawn", that is, the weather is beautiful, and there is a drought every year. It is believed that sunny days are the main drought, and rainy days are the main flood. In the Huang Guan area of Daba Mountain, people call February 2nd the Spring Festival. In order to welcome Chunlong, the villagers got up early and cleaned the room inside and outside. Then eat "Longxu Noodles" as early as possible. The longer the noodles are pulled, the better, which means that Longxu Noodles is long and symbolizes good luck. When eating noodles, the old man took the lead to end the bowl, stood in the center of the room, facing the outdoor sky, chanting "February 2, the dragon looked up and the weather was good; Rich corn cob is thick and big, and sorghum is the leader of millet dance. At noon, we eat "Dragon Forest Cake", which has patterns such as "Two Dragons Playing with Beads" and "Dragon and Phoenix Becoming Lucky" carefully made by village women. Women are also forbidden to do needlework on this day, because it is said that dragons will look up at the world on this day and stab their eyes with needles. On the same day, the Miao people in Yunnan held the Dragon Boat Festival. Generally speaking, taking the village as a unit, the tree is a symbol of the dragon, offering sacrifices to pigs, chickens and dogs.

Various theories about the origin of dragons.

Wen Yiduo, a famous scholar, discussed the prototype of the dragon in the 1940s. He thinks that the main part and basic form of dragons are snakes. He said: "The so-called dragon is just a big snake named' Dragon'. Later, a group with this serpent as its totem merged and absorbed many other totem groups. The serpent accepted animal's feet, horse's head, raccoon's tail, deer's horn, dog's claws, fish's scales and whiskers. ...

Sun Zuoyun also studied dragons. His views are slightly different from Wen Yiduo's. He thinks dragons are the mystery of snakes. He said: "In the primitive society of China, in the Central Plains, there were several consanguineous clans with aquatic animals or amphibians as totems. They formed an alliance, the most important of which was a clan with snakes as its totem. The snake was mystified and turned into a totem, inside the dragon. So the snake family is also a dragon. "

Liu Dunyuan also thinks that the original image of the dragon is a snake, but it is slightly different from what the above scholars said. He said, "Dragon is a very common myth in ancient myths and legends in China. This legend originated early, spread widely, and its content is very complicated. But historically, it is only the continuation and development of primitive religious worship of reptiles. The original image is a snake, and the natural force represented is the land. " "The horned dragon is a snake, and the horn is used to express its supernatural nature. This is the case of all the dragon characters in Oracle Bone Inscriptions bronze inscriptions."

Yuan Dexing, a scholar in Taiwan Province Province, also believes that the truth of dragons is snakes. In his paper 1978, he pointed out: "The snake in religion and culture is the dragon." "The snake's admiration for dragons is entirely a cultural act."

Fuxi culture

China is a civilized country with a long history, and our ancestors created splendid cultural heritage in the long historical process. Chinese descendants' exploration of national culture shows her extraordinary creativity and contributes countless brilliant treasures to the progress of human society. When we study, sort out and develop this heritage, we are bathed in the light of her wisdom and deeply feel that she will contribute potential brilliance to the civilization construction of our motherland today and tomorrow.

Fuxi is the ancestor of human beings worshipped by the Chinese nation and the first king of China, ranking first in Huang San, before the Hundred Kings. He and Nu Wa were called "Adam" and "Eve" in China. Legend has it that Fuxi and Nuwa are both dragon heads or snake heads, which gave birth to the whole Chinese nation, so the Chinese nation calls itself "the descendants of the dragon". Fuxi's birth and achievements have been respected by all generations since ancient times. They explored and invented a new mode of production and a new way of life for the reproduction and survival of mankind. The "Zhao Qi Civilization" made mankind get rid of the ignorance in the flood era and laid the foundation for the history and prosperity of Chinese civilization.

Fuxi, the ancestor of mankind worshipped by the Chinese nation, is the foundation of the Chinese dragon as an emissary. The pioneering production and social practice of the ancestors, represented by Fuxi, gave birth to and formed Fuxi culture, which pushed mankind from the flood era to a new era of civilization and profoundly influenced the formation and development of Chinese national culture. Today, with the modernization of Socialism with Chinese characteristics, it is not only the sacred responsibility of the 3 million people in Tianshui, the hometown of Huang Xi, but also the historical responsibility of the people of the whole country and the Chinese people all over the world to study and carry forward Fuxi culture, inspire the national spirit, further expand opening up and cultural exchanges, and promote economic development.

Dragon's record

According to ancient scripture, the dragon is a creation, with deer-like horns, camel's head, rabbit's eyes and the neck of a giant snake. Its abdomen looks like a "Shen" (a fictional hose similar to a crocodile). It has claws like eagles, fingers like tigers and ears like buffaloes. Dragons have the ability to change from one object to another in an instant; From fat to thin, from tall to short. It can also fly to the sky and go down to the bottom of the sea. It seems that dragons are creatures with super powers and can be transformed into various forms. In China, the dragon symbol was born in Shang and Yin Dynasties (the earliest hieroglyphic period in China in the 6th century BC +06- 1 1), and it was carved on animal bones and tortoise shells. These carved flowers describe a horned reptile with teeth, scales and some claws. The above symbols usually indicate that dragons are regarded as cruel, evil and unfortunate creatures. According to these symbols, scientists in China concluded that it was actually an alligator fish. For centuries, scientists have put forward many explanations and speculations about dragons. There is no doubt that the dragon in the original image must be a reptile, snake, crocodile or lizard. Fossils and remains dating back 5000-6000 years show that lizards, alligators and dragons evolved from totems symbolizing honor and religion. By studying these portraits, we can trace back to the earliest image of the dragon, its evolutionary history and its present appearance.

Although the first dragon has only a single image, with the increasing contact of ancient people in China, people began to paint their totems more imaginatively. After a long time, this image has evolved into a dragon or totem with completely different nature.

Therefore, the dragon is the crystallization of people's imagination and a mysterious creation worshipped by people for centuries. In modern Chinese painting, dragons also appear in various forms. Ethnic minorities describe dragons in various ways, from fish to crocodiles and people.

Dragon culture

The dragon is a symbol of the Chinese nation. Every Chinese descendant is a descendant of the dragon, and the dragon has become a culture. In the hearts of Chinese children, it occupies an irreplaceable position. Dragon, an illusory god, has been hovering in people's hearts for thousands of years.

Dragons originated in the Neolithic Age 8000 years ago. Out of the worship of nature and the good wish for a good harvest, people have constructed a kind of god beast with the characteristics of horse's head, antlers, snake body, fish scales, eagle's claws and fish tail in their hearts, and given it the power to make waves. This is a dragon.

In the ancient mythology of China, the dragon appeared frequently, and it became an epoch-making god, which helped the Yellow Emperor unify China, and made great efforts to protect Dayu and control water, benefiting thousands of people in Qian Qian, Qian Qian.

In feudal times, the dragon symbolized imperial power and divine power, and was an inviolable majesty. Today, with the rapid development of science and technology, the dragon has become a mascot and flies into the homes of ordinary people. People dance and race dragon boats. In riddles, couplets and pictures, dragons have become an immortal theme.

As descendants of the dragon, we should carry forward the dragon culture that has been circulated for thousands of years and carry forward a broad and boundless national spirit.

Dragon, the essence of the sun and the moon, the aura of heaven and earth, has the shape of a hundred animals, and all rivers run into the sea. In this new era, it has been given new life. It is not only a symbol of the Chinese nation, but also represents the spirit of the Chinese nation and becomes the soul of China in the new century.

Species of dragons

Solanum nigrum: A fictional one-legged monster, which is the embryonic stage of the dragon. The description of Wei Xiao in Shan Hai Jing Ye Dong Jing is: "It looks like an ox, but it has no horns. When you step into and out of the water, there will be wind and rain. Its light is like the sun and the moon, and its sound is like thunder, so it is called kui. " But more ancient books say that Wei Xiao is a snake monster. "Wei Xiao, with charm, is like the foot of a dragon." (Shuo Wen Jie Zi) "Hey, one foot? Walking on the road. " (Liu Tie) In the bronze decoration in the late Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty, the dragon pattern was one of the main decorative patterns, and the image was mostly a long strip with a long mouth and a curly tail. Its shape is suitable for the structural lines of bronze decorative surfaces, with straight lines as the main part and arcs as the auxiliary part, which has the aesthetic feeling of Gu Zhuo.

Octopus: It's an early kind of dragon, which is modeled on a reptile-snake and often moves in the water. "In five hundred years, the octopus became jiaozi, and in one thousand, jiaozi became a dragon." It is the childhood of the dragon, which once appeared on the bronze decorations in the late Western Zhou Dynasty, but not much.

Pan Guo is a snake-shaped monster of the dragon genus, an early dragon with no horns. In Guangya, there is a description of "no horns, it is said that killing a dragon". There are also two views on dragons, one refers to the yellow horned dragon and the other refers to the female dragon. There is a note that "the red dragon is also a female dragon" in the biography of Han Dynasty, so the unearthed Warring States period is decorated with dragons and dragon combination shapes, which means that men and women mate. From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Qin and Han Dynasties, bronzes, jade carvings, bronze mirrors or buildings were often decorated in the shape of flat flies, including single flies, double flies, three flies, five flies and even swarms of flies. Or as a title card, or as a ring, or as a book. In addition, there are Bo Gu beetles, ring beetles and other changes.

Jiao: Generally speaking, it refers to a scaly dragon that can cause floods. According to legend, the water of the dragon can make clouds and fog and soar in space. In ancient Chinese, it is often used to mean that talented people get the opportunity to display their talents. There are different opinions about the origin and shape of jiaozi in classical literature. Some say that "the dragon has no horns, so it is called dumpling", while others say that "the scale is called dragon". The third volume of Mo Ke Dao Rhinoceros is more specific: Jiao is shaped like a snake, with a head like a tiger and an elder of dozens of feet. Most of them live under the caves in Xitan, and their voices are like cattle. If Jiao sees pedestrians on the shore or in the ravine, he will entangle them with his mouth and make people fall into the water, that is, suck their blood under his arm until the blood runs out. People on shore and on board often suffer from it. There is a story in Liu Yiqing's Shi Shuo Xin Yu in the Southern Song Dynasty, saying that he went into the water for three days and three nights at the beginning of the week to chop jiaozi back. Jiao may be a crocodile.

Ceratosaurus: refers to a horned dragon. According to Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio, "A Thousand-year-old Dragon, a Hundred-year-old dragon five Horned Dragon", Horned Dragon is an old man among dragons.

Ying Long: The winged dragon is called Ying Long. According to Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio, "dragon five has been a Ceratosaurus for a hundred years, and Ying Long for a thousand years", Ying Long is the essence of the dragon, so he has wings. According to legend, Ying Long was the dragon of the ancient Yellow Emperor. It was ordered by the Yellow Emperor to crusade against Chiyou and kill Chiyou to become a hero. In Yu's flood control, the dragon swept the floor with its tail and diverted the flood. This dragon is also called Huanglong, and Huanglong is it, so it is the hero of Yu. Ying Long is characterized by wings, prickly scales, long head, small nose, eyes and ears, big eyes, high eyebrow arch, sharp teeth, protruding forehead, thin neck, long tail tip and strong limbs, just like a Chinese alligator with wings. The image of Ying Long often appears in jade carvings, stone carvings, silk paintings and lacquerware in the Han Dynasty during the Warring States Period.

Fire dragon: It is a dragon threatened by fire. The whole body is purple fire, and wherever the fire dragon passes, it is all burnt.

Panlong: refers to the dragon that crouches on the ground and does not ascend to heaven. The shape of a dragon is coiled. In ancient buildings in China, dragons coiled on pillars and dragons on decorative beams and ceilings are customarily called Panlong. There is another explanation for Panlong in "Peaceful Magnolia": "Panlong is four feet long, blue-black, with a brocade-like red belt, and often goes down with the water and into the sea." It's toxic. If you hurt someone, you'll die. Mix dragons with jiaozi, snakes and so on.

Qinglong: It is one of the "Four Spirits" or "Four Gods", also known as the Black Dragon. Ancient astronomers in China divided some stars in the sky into 28 star zones, that is, 28 constellations, to observe the movement of the moon and divide the seasons, and divided the 28 constellations into four groups, each group has seven constellations in the east, south, west and north directions, with four colors of blue, red, white and black, as well as four animals, such as dragons, birds, tigers and basalts (where turtles and snakes meet). Dragon means the east, blue, the so-called "East Palace Qinglong". In the Qin and Han dynasties, the four elephants became four spirits or four gods (dragon, phoenix, turtle and dragon), and their mystery became more and more intense. The existing stone relief of the East Palace Black Dragon constellation in Nanyang Han Painting Academy consists of a dragon, eighteen stars and the moon, and is engraved with jade toad. This dragon is the symbol of the whole black dragon constellation. In the bricks, stones and tiles of the Han Dynasty, there are many images of "four spirits".

Yu Hualong: It is a dragon with a dragon head and a fish body, and it is also a form of "mutual change of arowana and fish", which has existed for a long time in ancient China. In Shuoyuan, there is a record that the white dragon turns into a fish in the cold, and in Chang 'an storytelling, the fish in the Middle East turns into a dragon, and the carp circulated by the people jumps over Longmen, all of which tell the mutual changes of arowana. This kind of modeling appeared in jade carvings as early as the late Shang Dynasty, and it has developed in all previous dynasties.

The form of dragon

Sitting on a dragon: it is a form of sitting in a dangerous posture, with the head facing forward, a fireball standing under the chin, and four claws extending in four directions in different forms. The dragon body curls up, bends down into an arc, and the posture is correct. Sitting on a dragon generally stands in the middle, solemn and serious, and often there are galloping dragons arranged up and down or left and right. In feudal society, sitting on a dragon is a noble dragon pattern.

Walking dragon: Walking slowly, the whole dragon is the front side of the horizontal position. Dragons are often decorated in pairs, forming a picture of double dragons playing with pearls. It is often decorated on both sides in front of the temple, and the long and narrow decorative surfaces of utensils are often used. If it is a single phase, the dragon's head often turns back, making the picture more vivid.

Shenglong: Head above, galloping and dancing, showing an upward trend. If the faucet rises to the upper left, it is called "the dragon rises to the left" and the faucet rises to the upper right, it is called "the dragon rises to the right". Ascending dragons have different priorities. If you rise slowly, you will "rise slowly." Those who are in a hurry to rise are called "dragons in a hurry to rise." The dragon on the head moves down again, which is called "returning to the dragon".

Dragon descending: The head is below, flying and flying, showing a downward trend. If the faucet goes down to the left, it is called "the dragon falls to the left" and the faucet goes down to the right, it is called "the dragon falls to the right". There are different emphases on dragon reduction. Those who slow down are called "slow down the dragon". The person who drops quickly is called "descending the dragon quickly". The head-down dragon moves upward, which is called "rebound dragon" or "upside down dragon".

Double Dragon Playing with Beads: The expression of two dragons playing (or grabbing) a fire bead together. Its origin comes from the planetary map in astronomy, and the fireball evolved from the moon. Since the Han Dynasty, the double dragon play beads have become an auspicious and festive decorative pattern, which is mostly used for architectural color paintings and noble and rich utensils decoration. The form of Ssangyong depends on the area of decoration. If it is a dragon, the two dragons are symmetrically located on the left and right sides, showing the posture of walking dragons. If it is square or round, (including squares similar to these shapes) two dragons are arranged diagonally up and down, with the upper dragon descending and the lower dragon ascending. Whether it is a strip or a block, the fire bead is in the middle, showing a lively momentum.

Yunlong: refers to the dragon rushing in the clouds. Dragon and cloud are one, and cloud is the foundation of dragon. The dragon's breath turned into clouds. Cloud dragon pattern is the same body of cloud and dragon, which "breaks up" the head, tail and feet of dragon, blends with abstract cloud, and presents mysterious patterns like cloud Feiyun and dragon.

Grass dragon: it is a kind of grass-rolling pattern with the image of dragon, also known as "grass-rolling branch dragon" The head has obvious leading features, while the body, tail and limbs have become grass-rolling patterns. The whole often presents the main theme of "S" shape, and continues to extend the "S" shape, producing a continuous and eternal artistic effect. The rich changes in the head and the curly grass constitute a picture with uneven movement, mutual echo and rich layers. In composition, it adopts a balanced form, pays attention to the beauty of curves and is full of movement. In the form of expression, romanticism is used to integrate the contents of Ruyi Wen with auspicious meaning into a picture, giving people room for imagination. The patterns of rolling grass and tying branches are often used for decoration of buildings, furniture and utensils.

Zhuanlong: Originated from grass dragon, born out of grass dragon, forming a unique form of expression. The dragon's line decoration is straight and tough, and the turning point is a square corner. The faucet is also square, coordinated as a whole, concise and lively, and has a certain decorative interest. It is often used in furniture, interior decoration and building frames.

Tuanlong: When the shape of the dragon is suitable to be round, it is called Tuanlong. It originated in the Tang Dynasty and was widely used in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. "Four Dragons", "Eight Dragons" and other group flowers were designated as the crown service system at that time, that is, four or eight dragons were the most distinguished on a dress. Later, it developed into ten regiments, twelve regiments, sixteen regiments, and twenty-four regiments, with more and more numbers and wider scope of use. Brocade, embroidery, ceramics, architecture, furniture and other decorations all have dragon balls, which have strong applicability, maintain the integrity of dragons, have a strong decorative atmosphere and are widely used. There are also many forms of dragon groups, such as "sitting on the dragon group", "ascending the dragon group" and "descending the dragon group" The round edge of the Tuanlong is also decorated with patterns such as water waves, ruyi, grass dragons, etc. The Tuanlong patterns are gorgeous and rich.

Why is the Chinese nation a descendant of the dragon?

In ancient China mythology, human beings were created by Nu Wa squeezing loess. Nu Wa created human beings, so who created Nu Wa herself? Generally speaking, Nuwa was first created by people who worshipped snakes as totems.

What is a totem? Totem is the symbol of clan in primitive society. Totem belief is a very primitive belief. The color of the snake totem can be clearly seen in the images of Nvwa 、 Fuxi and others. Snake totem is widely distributed, and now it is mainly concentrated in the southeast and southwest of China. During thousands of years of continuous migration, the cultures of various ethnic groups have blended with each other, and snake totems have spread all over the country. Both Gaoshan nationality in Taiwan Province province and Li nationality in Hainan province have traces or customs of snake totem. In areas with snakes as totems, it is generally believed that "snake" is the prototype of "dragon" and "dragon" is the divine embodiment of "snake". So in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, domestic snakes are called "black dragon", "dragon" and "dragon". In Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and other places, some ethnic groups call themselves "dragon species", "dragon people" and "dragon houses" and build snake temples to worship snake gods.

It can be seen that our Chinese nation is a descendant of the dragon and has a profound historical origin. The dragon is a symbol of China people, and the Chinese nation proudly considers itself a "descendant of the dragon".

Longde art

China's first set of stamps: Dalong stamps

The full set of * * * has three denominations, the currency is official flat silver, 1 silver is green, 3 silver is red, and 5 silver is yellow, with different brush colors, dark and bright. Embossed printing with adhesive, perforated 12.5 degrees. Printed by Shanghai Customs Registration Office and distributed in three phases:

Printing Dalong1878-1882 with cotton paper, the first issue. The paper is tough and thin, slightly transparent, with a frame spacing of about 2.5 mm In the later period, the whole paper is 25(5×5), but the whole paper is 20(5×4) with three cents. This issue has the largest printing volume.

Printed on 1882, broadside dragon is the second issue. The frame spacing is about 4.5-5.0 mm, and the paper is complicated, some of which are brittle and easy to crack. Due to the size of the paper, the whole page is changed to 15(5×3), and the other two kinds of paper are printed less except for 3 cents. The new 5-cent silver ticket is rare in the world, and it is a rare boutique, commonly known as the yellow 5-point. The new ticket is an orphan Originally collected by Stone Pagoda, an American philatelist, it was once praised as "the most expensive China post in the western hemisphere" by China Stamp Association. It was bought by Lin in Hong Kong at 199 1.

Thick paper Dalong 1883- 1885 printing, the third issue. The paper is thick and opaque, the frame spacing is 2.5-3.25 mm, and the relationship between factor modulus wear and paper size is changed to 20(4×5 or 5×4) sheets. According to the shape of the tooth hole, there are two sets of cracked eyes and hairy teeth.

The circulation of Dalong stamps is about 1 10,000, and the specific issue date has not been recorded so far. After discussion, it is considered that the earliest issuing date of Dalong stamps is between July 24, 878 and August 654.38+0. Therefore, the issue history, distribution and layout, postmark, real envelope and so on of Dalong stamps have long been important topics in philatelic research.

The influence of dragons (1)

Dragon culture, up and down 8000 years, has a long history. The image of the dragon has penetrated into every corner of society, and the influence of the dragon has also spread to all levels of culture, rich and colorful.

Poetry is the earliest form of China literature. In the ancient Book of Songs, there were descriptions of dragons: "Ten Rides of the Dragon Flag" and "Yang Yang of the Dragon Flag", which showed the sacred and solemn scene of hunting in the wind with banners painted with dragon patterns in grand sacrificial activities. In Chu Ci, which rose in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the dragon was also the object of the poet's fantasy praise. Qu Yuan, a great patriotic poet, expressed his lofty personality and strong patriotic feelings with warm and sincere sentences and rich rhetoric in the well-known Lisao. When the poet said that because he could not tolerate the clique of Chu, he wanted to go to heaven to ask for a virtuous woman and a holy princess, he imagined himself driving a dragon cart through the colorful clouds like a fairy:

Driving a flying dragon for me, Zayao thought it was a car,

What's the use of centrifuging Xi? I will be more suitable for self-thinning.

There are thousands of chariots, but Chyi Yu gallops.

Driving the Eight Dragons is graceful and elegant, holding the cloud flag like a snake.

Drive that charming dragon for me,

Take a car decorated with jade and ivory.

Can you think differently?

I will leave myself, far away!

There are thousands of cars in my motorcade, arranged neatly.

The ranks are mighty and rumbling.

Each car is dragged by eight winding dragons.

Colorful flags are flying in the car.

The influence of the dragon (2)

In the poet's other group of poems, Nine Songs, Qu Yuan artistically processed folk witchcraft songs offering sacrifices to gods, which injected his passion and made the poems full of fantastic, magnificent, romantic colors and attractive charm. Most of the immortals described in the poems are driven by chariots, so there are many poems about dragons in the poems.

After the Han Dynasty, Fu style became popular. Thanks to the advocacy of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, especially Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Fu developed rapidly, but at the same time, it became beautiful and empty in content and style, and became a style of praise. After the Han Dynasty, the theory of Rui Fu prevailed, and Rui Fu focused on dragons, so dragons became the main theme of Fu. The so-called "Dragon Fu" appeared from time to time in Tang and Song Dynasties, but most of them were empty, and some of them were purely flattering. There is no great merit in art, only a few people's dragon poems have a different flavor, such as Bai Juyi's "Black Dragon Drinking Wei Shui Fu". Although it is entirely the poet's imagination, it gives people a vivid feeling and has considerable literary value. In Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi wrote "Dragon Fu", which is a unique metaphor for people with dragons.

In ancient seven-character and five-character poems and songs, there are very few directly chanting dragons. "All Tang Poems" only records a poem by Li Qi in the early Tang Dynasty: "Holding a candle to illuminate the secluded capital, including chapter imitation, drinking Wei water in the west Qin Dynasty and recommending a river map in the east Luo Dynasty. Move the stars and bring fire to the ground, Dinghu rises out of the clouds, hoping to meet saints, and the morning meeting will be over. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Han Qi also wrote a poem about dragons: "A sage knows where he lives and sees his spirit in everything.

Although there are images in the game, the solution is invisible. This is a world full of things and a legacy. If Dan Qing has a good figure, try Ye Gongting. This kind of dragon poetry does not have much merit in content and art, but some poems describing natural phenomena and folk activities related to "dragon" are vivid, true and delicate because of the careful observation of the author, which has high artistry. For example, Ouyang Xiu's poems of the Baizikeng Dragon in the Song Dynasty mainly focus on folk praying for rain. The poet first wrote about the rainfall, and then wrote about the scene that the peasants were extremely happy after the rain was tested: "In the Ming Dynasty, the old peasants worshipped the pool, the drums rang in the mountains, the wild witches were drunk in the temple, and the wolves and birds fought for the disabled. The scene is vivid. Another example is Lu You's poem "Dragon Hanging": "There is a strong wind in Chengdu in June, and the room is full of momentum. Dark clouds are ghostly in the wind, filling the void like ghosts and gods. Thunder bursts into fire, the earth is red, and God has a life of ups and downs. The dragon's tail doesn't roll the sky, the raindrops are like axles, the mountains destroy rivers and overflow roads, and thousands of feet pine is uprooted. The terrible momentum and destructive power of tornadoes are vividly displayed on the paper.

The influence of the dragon (3)

In China's ancient novels, dragons also played an important role. China's novels originated from Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio and legends, and the legends of Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio are related to ancient myths and legends, so the mythical dragon also entered the novel. The earlier ones are Search, Continued Mystery Record, Xuanshizhi and so on. The most wonderful thing is the biography written by Li.

In the novel, Liu Yi, a scholar, returns to his hometown and meets Yilong's daughter through Jingyang. The dragon girl was abused by her husband's family and driven to the wilderness to herd sheep. Liu Yi sympathized with the Dragon Lady and sent a message to her father Dong Tingjun. Qiantangjun, the younger brother of Dongting Jun, was furious when he saw the letter. He went to Jingyang, killed the dragon lady's in-laws, rescued her, and wanted to marry her to Liu Yi. Liu Yi refused because of Qian Tang's arrogant words. Dragon girl worships, so she changed her appearance, took the name of Lu's daughter, and finally married. The novel is full of imagination and romantic plot, and the portrayal of the dragon girl and Qiantang Jun is extremely vivid. This story is widely circulated, and the operas adapted from it have been adapted in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Ghost novels flourished in the Ming Dynasty, and the description of dragons and their plots was mixed with the contents of Buddhism and Taoism, among which dragons were often the object of condemnation, banter and ridicule by the authors.