Amazing discovery: the ancient Chinese "dragon" was actually a crocodile! The existence of Chinese dragons has long been controversial. Although TV dramas and archaeological discoveries have confirmed the existence of dragon traces in ancient China, the evidence is not enough to be fully believed. According to legend, the dragon is depicted as a noble and mysterious being, ruling the heavens and the earth. Do you know? Someone has actually eaten dragon meat! Kong Jia was a monarch during the Xia Dynasty who loved dragons and domesticated two dragons.
However, due to his lack of expertise, he enlists a civilian named Liu Lei to help, which leads to the death of the mother dragon. In order to cover up his mistakes, Liu Lei cooked the mother dragon privately and gave it to Kong Jia to enjoy. Kong Jia found that the dragon meat was very special and gave it many things to Liu Lei. However, when he learned the truth, he was very angry, causing Liu Lei to be forced to flee.
The story reveals the truth about ancient dragons, which were actually some kind of dragon-like animal, possibly crocodiles or other aquatic creatures. From a scientific point of view, the divine dragon in ancient mythology does not exist. These two dragons bred by Kong Jia do not have the legendary divine power, they have no power to fight back in the hands of humans, and they are eventually slaughtered into food. This suggests that these dragons were actually some kind of animal, not a mysterious dragon. So, what kind of animals are these two dragons?
The discovery of the ruins of the Linfen Tao Temple in Shanxi Province reveals the answer for us. A painted dragon-patterned pottery plate and a "drum" were unearthed at the site. The dragon on a painted dragon-patterned pottery plate has a large, square, slender mouth full of sharp fangs and claws, very similar to the mouth of a crocodile. And the "drum" is a percussion instrument made of crocodile skin, and even retains the subcutaneous bone plate of the crocodile.
These two artifacts prove that the northern region during the Xia Dynasty was once the habitat of crocodiles, and the ancients mistook the image of the crocodile for one of the true original images of the dragon. Therefore, the two dragons raised by Liu of the Xia Dynasty are likely to be two crocodiles. The discovery sparked a rethinking of the origin and legend of the Chinese dragon. The dragon has an important place in Chinese culture and is seen as a symbol of power and good luck.
However, now that we understand that the image of the dragon may have originated from the ancient people's misunderstanding of crocodiles, it has important implications for our understanding of the evolution of ancient Chinese culture. To sum up, the ancient Chinese "dragon" was actually a crocodile. This discovery sheds light on the true archetype of the Chinese dragon, and also leads to an inquiry into ancient Chinese culture and biodiversity.
We should be open-minded, open to scientific discoveries, and use this as an opportunity to rethink conventional wisdom. There are still many unsolved mysteries waiting to be uncovered about the origin of the Chinese dragon, which will further enrich our understanding of Chinese culture. What do you think of this finding? Do you think this has had a positive or negative impact on Chinese culture? Please leave your comments and discuss together!