The Dragon — Symbol of Imperial Power

The Chinese dragon is nothing like the European dragon. It does not hoard gold or breathe fire to terrorize. It is a bringer of rain, a guardian of rivers, a symbol of yang energy and imperial authority. The emperor was the Son of Heaven, and the dragon was his symbol — the five-clawed dragon reserved exclusively for the emperor's robes, banners, and thrones. To wear the five-clawed dragon without permission was an act of treason. The dragon did not represent something to be feared and slain. It represented the highest power a human being could be entrusted with.

These signs carry the five-clawed imperial dragon, the pearl of wisdom it chases through clouds, and the authority of ten thousand years of Chinese civilization.