Dragon King
For the Mortal Kombat character, see Onaga. See also Dragon King (disambiguation)The four
Dragon Kings (龍王;
pinyin: Lóng
Wáng) are, in
Chinese mythology, the divine rulers of the four
seas (each sea corresponds to one of the
cardinal directions). Although Dragon Kings appear in their true forms as
dragons, they have the ability to
shapeshift into
human form. The Dragon Kings live in
crystal palaces, guarded by
shrimp soldiers and
crab generals.
Besides ruling over the aquatic life, the Dragon Kings also manipulate
clouds and
rain. When enraged, they can
flood cities. According to
The Short Stories on the Tang People ("人傳奇
Tangren Chuanqi), the Qian Tang Dragon King did just that when he found out his niece had been abused by her husband. Qian Tang also ate the abusive husband.
The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea is said to have the largest territory.
Dragon Kings appeared commonly in literature. Detailed descriptions were given of the finery of their crystal palaces. In the Chinese classical novel
Journey to the West, a Dragon King is one of the main characters in the tenth chapter.
*Dragon of the East: áo guǎng (敖廣)
*Dragon of the South: áo qīn (敖欽)
*Dragon of the West: áo rùn (敖閏)
*Dragon of the North: áo shùn (敖順)
There are numerous
temples dedicated to Dragon Kings in China. One temple in
Beijing was built during the
Yuan Dynasty and renovated in the early
21st century.
Chao-Tian Palace (朝天宮) of Beigang Township (北港鎮),
Yunlin, devoted to the Goddess
Mazu, also has human-shaped statues for the four Dragon Kings, each riding on a dragon. In contrast to the Dragon Kings, Mazu, although also a deity of sea, is a
motherly figure who never wreaks havoc.
