Fucanglong The Dragon Of Hidden Treasures
- Fucanglong The Dragon Of Hidden Treasures Game
- Fucanglong The Dragon Of Hidden Treasures Book
- Fucanglong The Dragon Of Hidden Treasures Book 2
ORIGINS OF THE GOLDEN DRAGON AWARDS
WHY THE DRAGON?
Fucanglong, the Dragons of Hidden Treasures, are underworld dragons which guard buried treasures, both natural and man-made. Volcanoes are said to be created when they burst out of the ground to report to heaven. Dilong, the Underground Dragons, are earth dragons whose task it.
Dragons are symbols. Across the ages and among many different cultures, dragons have either evoked respect and admiration, or a sense of fear and trepidation, for their perceived powers.
- The Fucanglong is the Chinese dragon of “hidden treasure”. He waits deep in the earth guarding his hordes of jewels or rare mineral deposits.
- The Dragon Masters series is my daughters absolute favorite. Every book has a new adventure with a new dragon and dragon master. Treasure of the Gold Dragon is full of fun and exciteMeant for the reader. I would highly recommend this book and the entire series for readers from Kindergarten to third grade, depending on reading ability.
The Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida has selected the Golden Dragon for its symbolism as a benevolent force; for its qualities of strength, wisdom and wealth; and for its wide appeal to the imaginations, hopes and wishes of our members.
Moreover, because of the dragon’s long mythical history in so many Eastern and Western cultures and its appearance in many inspirational tales, the dragon perfectly embodies our Chamber’s motto:
“Dream. Believe. Achieve.”
HISTORY OF THE DRAGON
The earliest dragons appear in the mythology of Sumerian culture, located south of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), around 5,000 BCE. The ancient Egyptians also produced tales of dragons, including Apep, who fought the sun god Ra (3000 BCE to 2,000 BCE). Likewise, the Babylonians record their earliest dragon history in the form of a creation myth, where the dragon Tiamat was cut in two halves to create Earth and the heavens. The most famous Babylonian myth dates to 2000 BCE in the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, which introduces the mixed-dragon Humbaba. And in ancient Greek legend, Hercules was required to undergo twelve labors in order to claim the right to his throne. The second labor was to slay a multi-headed hydra. However, every time he cut off a head, two more would grow. Hercules eventually prevailed.
In the ancient Americas, around 250 AD, the Aztecs and Mayans venerated the peaceful Quetzalcoatl as well as the two-headed dragon, Coatlcue, often pictured wearing a skirt made of snakes. Similarly, the Mayans celebrated the Xiuhcoatl, small fire-serpents.
EASTERN VERSUS WESTERN DRAGONS
Fucanglong The Dragon Of Hidden Treasures Game
Chinese Dragons: Legend holds that when Buddha summoned all the world’s animals, only twelve animals arrived after a long journey. These twelve animals became the Chinese Zodiac and include the great dragon. Chinese dragons are first recorded around 5,000 BCE and come in a variety of shapes and colors. However, most do not have wings until reaching about one thousand years old, when they would grow branch-like wings. There are nine major Chinese dragons, including the horned dragon, winged dragon, celestial dragon, dragon of hidden treasures, coiling dragon, yellow dragon, the dragon king, and others. Celestial dragons were a sign of ultimate power, and their sign was reserved exclusively for the Chinese emperor.
Japanese Dragons: Japanese folklore states that Japan’s emperors are the descendants of dragons. Japanese mythology refers to heavenly dragons who would guard the palace of the gods as well as earth dragons who determined the course of a river, or spiritual dragons who delivered rain. Sometimes Japanese dragons were linked to natural disasters, and floods and storms were attributed to dragons who were offended by mortals. Yet other dragons were known to be shape-shifters, assuming the form of man.
Vietnamese Dragons: According to their creation mythology, the Vietnamese people are descended from a dragon and a fairy. The Vietnamese looked to the dragon to bring rain for agriculture and as a symbol of prosperity. A popular Vietnamese proverb is “Rồng đến nhà tôm”. This translates to “Dragon visits shrimp’s house”, a saying used by a host portraying himself as a humble shrimp and his guest as a noble dragon.
Filipino Dragons: Ancient Filipino folklore describes a gigantic sea serpent, called Bakunawa (sometimes also spelled Bakonawa or Baconaua), who is the god of the underworld and the cause of eclipses. In ancient times, seven moons would light up the night sky. Attracted to their beauty, the Bakunawa would rise from the ocean and swallow the moons. To stop the eclipse, some Filipinos would bang pots and pans, while others played soothing instruments, to stop the “moon eater.” Many ancient Filipino swords contain figures of the Bakunawa’s head on the sword hilt.
Korean Dragons: A well-known Korean tale describes a poor fisherman who caught a huge carp. When the carp begged to be set free, the fisherman agreed. He was later rewarded with great riches when he learned the carp was actually a son of the Dragon King. The water-borne theme in this Korean legend reflects the Koreans’ view of dragons as benevolent beings who often resided in rivers, lakes and oceans.
Thai Dragons: Similar to dragons in other Asian cultures, the Thai dragon represents magical or supernatural powers. The Thai dragon protects temples, brings forth water, and is associated with wisdom and longevity.
Bhutanese Dragons: “Druk” is the “Thunder Dragon” of Bhutanese mythology and a national symbol. The Bhutanese flag contains a prominent druk, holding jewels in its four claws to represent wealth. The national anthem of Bhutan, “Druk Tsendhen”, translates into English as “The Kingdom of Druk”.
Irish Dragons: The folklore of Ireland includes many tales of serpents, who were considered both good and bad. Pre-Christian Ireland contained cross-like symbols often accompanied by serpents or dragons. With the arrival of Christianity and its view that serpents, snakes and dragons were somehow related to a great evil or to the devil, new tales arose of Saint Patrick driving out all the serpents and snakes from Ireland. Ollipeist, one of the most famous Irish dragons, was driven out by Saint Patrick, and the Dragon of Matz was evicted by Saint Clement.
English Dragons: The Legend of St. George (the Patron Saint of England) has several variations. The most famous involves St. George the dragon slayer. George was a Knight of England who traveled the world. During an expedition to Egypt, he learned of a dragon with mighty scales who had devoured almost every virgin woman in Egypt, except for the princess Sabra, daughter of King Ptolemy of Egypt. The King said that any knight who could slay the dragon would be allowed to marry his daughter. St. George slew the dragon once he discovered an unprotected, scaleless part of the dragon’s body.
Dragons have long played a role in heraldry throughout Great Britain. They can be found on numerous family crests, shields and coats of arms.
French Dragons: The French legend of Tarasque describes a lake-dwelling serpent-dragon in the south of France who would emerge on occasion to eat a virgin. The terrified villagers asked St. Martha for help. St. Martha knew that Tarasque was a music-lover, so she began singing praises to God, and the enchanted Tarasque lay quietly at her feet. The townspeople then slayed the dragon.
Western vs. Eastern Dragons: The Western dragon is four-legged and winged and is commonly found on crests and shields. Western dragons are usually portrayed as more aggressive, fiercer and warlike than their Eastern counterparts and, in the Western tradition, are said to prey upon maidens and children. Their virtues of keen sight, power and fearsomeness made the Western dragon a popular symbol among the wealthy and powerful.
By contrast, Eastern (Asian) dragons are usually wingless, though some can still fly even without wings. Eastern dragons are often portrayed as wise, gentle creatures and are prized for their magic, wisdom and beauty. Their bodies are longer and more snakelike. Eastern dragons typically have a feathery or furry mane, and artists’ renderings are usually in bright shades of green, red, orange, yellow or blue. Western dragons are usually hued in dark greens, grays, blacks and reds. Japanese dragons are usually depicted with three toes; Korean dragons, four toes; and Chinese dragons, five toes.
Both Western and Eastern dragons in folklore have enjoyed and protected wealth. Eastern dragons are sometimes pictured encircling a pearl or holding the pearl in its mouth.
DRAGONS IN OUR MIDST
Dragons are not relegated to ancient tales and folklore. They appear, in one form or another, even in our midst, as detailed in these recent sightings:
♦ Stuff the Magic Dragon: Fans of the Orlando Magic have reported sightings of a furry, pale-green dragon-mascot in the new Amway Arena, home of The Orlando Magic.
♦ Universal Orlando and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Animatronic dragons and Dementors lunge at riders in Universal Orlando’s “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” ™. For a more heart-stopping experience, try “Dragon Challenge”™, a pair of dueling roller coasters.
♦ Walt Disney Parks & Resorts: Forget the “hidden Mickeys”. Count all the dragons at Disney!
(1) “Fantasia” (Academy Award-winning Walt Disney animated film, 1940) features “Night on Bald Mountain” and the winged, dragonlike creature, Chernabog.
(2) “The Reluctant Dragon” (combination live action and animated film from Walt Disney Studios, 1941) is a short featurette about a dragon who would rather sit around sipping tea and reciting poetry rather than being ferocious.
(3) “Sleeping Beauty” (Walt Disney animated film, 1959) highlights Prince Phillip battling a fire-breathing dragon with his Sword of Truth and Shield of Virtue before reuniting with Aurora.
(4) “The Sword in the Stone” (Disney animated fantasy comedy film, 1963) shows the witch, Madam Mim, transforming into a dragon.
(5) “Pete’s Dragon” (a 1977 Walt Disney Productions animated musical feature) first introduced Elliot, which can now be seen in all his electric glory in Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade.
(6) “Fantasmic!”, a long-running Disney nighttime show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Florida, features fireworks, water effects, fire, live actors and boats – – and Maleficent, which rises 30 feet from the stage and transforms into a dragon onscreen. The animation then gives way to a 45-foot long animatronic dragon breathing fire onto the river.
(7) “Mulan” is Disney’s animated feature (1998), introducing a little red dragon named Mushu (posing as a Golden Dragon and voiced by actor Eddie Murphy).
(8) “Figment”, the purple dragon, awaits you at EPCOT’s “Journey Into Imagination”. His name comes from the phrase “figment of the imagination”.
(9) And finally, when you’re ready for a bite, go to Nine Dragons Restaurant in the China Pavilion at EPCOT.
♦ Asia Trend Magazine hosts its annual Asian Cultural Expo as a part of the Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival at Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida.
Fucanglong The Dragon Of Hidden Treasures Book
♦ Orlando Health: In the Orlando Health Men’s Cup division of the 2010 Orlando International Dragon Boat Race at Downtown Disney, two teams were fielded: ORMC’s Firebreathing Dragons and DPH Dragoneers.
Fucanglong The Dragon Of Hidden Treasures Book 2
WHAT DRAGON COLOR ARE YOU?
The “Year of the Dragon” occurs every 12 years on the Chinese zodiac calendar. The “Gold Dragon Year” is considered the luckiest of all in the complete 60-year cycle. Take this interactive online quiz and find out your dragon color: FIND MY DRAGON COLOR