Throughout the ancient world, people feared creatures with the body of a large lizard, snake-like eyes, large wings, and which can emit fire from their mouth. They were thought to embody evil, greed, lust, violence and the dark side of humanity. These mythical creatures are called dragons, but dragons have a different reputation in the eastern world. In China, it was highly respected in the kingdom, a fairly common motif in oriental art due to its celestial origin. Unlike Western mythology, the dragon in Chinese legends is not considered an evil creature, it does not bring death or despair. Instead of being associated with the fires of hell, they are believed to be associated with water, having natural control over water, rain, floods and hurricanes. A happy dragon would bring rain for the harvest or, unlike an angry dragon, could bring devastating weather. They were not considered demons, but rain deities, intended to provide protection against fire. The Chinese dragon represents power, good luck for those who are worthy of it, and strength. The emperor of China during the Zhou and Qing dynasty adopted the dragon as a symbol of imperial power. There were different versions of the dragon symbol to represent ranking, to show how they did it based on the number of claws the dragon had. The son of Heaven; the emperor receives five claws; four claws were reserved for nobles; and the ministers or those assigned received three claws. These were minor physical changes from the dragon's appearance. Chinese dragons do not have the same physical characteristics as Western dragons. In ancient Chinese art, the appearance of the dragon has undergone various changes. "Snake-like figures have been found painted on pottery dating back to the Shang d...... middle of paper ...... history, 2007. Print." Chinese Dragons Dragon Legends Types of Dragons The Dragon PearlThe Dragons of Jiulong Baguazhang." Dragons of China. Np, nd Web. April 29, 2014. Forbes, Andrews. The Illustrated Book of Dragons and Dragon Lore. Np: Cognoscenti , 2013. Print. “Nine Sons of the Dragon King.” Beyond Calligraphy, April 29, 2014. “椒图.” _互动百科. : J. Müller, 1913. Print.Williams, CAS and CAS Williams: an alphabetical compendium of ancient legends and beliefs, reflected in the manners and customs of the Chinese Rutland, VT: CE Tuttle, 1988. Print.Yang, Lihui and. Deming An Handbook of Chinese Mythology, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2005..