Year of Dragon: Long may the long reign in China(3)

Auspice or threat

However, not everyone takes the dragon as such a lovely symbol as China's want-to-be parents, at least not with its traditional appearance.

A set of stamps marking the Year of the Dragon unveiled earlier this month renewed a debate on the image of the emblem of China, which in the west is interpreted by some people as a token of "China's threat."

The "roaring" dragons featuring their traditional look in the stamps were considered "too ferocious" and "intimidating" in the eyes of some critics.

And there have been suggestions that the dragon should have a new look in the modern era, such as a lovely cartoon image that has been adopted by toy designers for the mascot of the Year of the Dragon.

A legendary creature, the dragon, or "long" in Chinese pinyin, has been regarded as one of the four auspicious animals in the Chinese culture. The other three are the phoenix, tortoise, and kylin.

The dragon is a combination of the features of various animals that people are familiar with.

A dragon has a protruding forehead indicating wisdom and antlers signifying longevity. Its ox's ears denote success in the imperial examination; it has tiger's eyes as a sign of power; eagle's claws showing bravery; while a fish's tail implies flexibility and the horse's teeth are a mark of diligence.

Chinese people have a long held belief that they are descendants of the dragon, but the tradition once firmly embedded in their culture now faces a challenge with the emergence of the "China threat" prophesy in the West and loud calls and suggestions within the country to change the dragon's image, or even take another animal as the country's totem.

For anthropologist Tian Zhaoyuan, however, the dragon has become an unshakable national connection among the Chinese people worldwide and a representative cultural image of the nation.

"It represents beauty, diligence, dynamism, fortune and is auspicious, and all these definitions can be supported by Chinese fairy tales about the creature," said Tian, a professor with the Shanghai-based East China Normal University.

"It also depends on how people interpret its image," said Tian. "Why not take its opening mouth as a sign of big laugh, and stretching claws as a pose of dancing?"

The professor's comments are echoed by Lew Baxter, a British author, publisher and long-time China observer.

He said he has noticed the debate about the dragon's image as a Chinese totem, but "it seems a step too far into fantasy to think that it might harm China's reputation."

"Now some might regard China as a threat but in economic and cultural terms the 'awakening dragon' of China in the 21st century should be regarded in a positive light, it is bringing good fortune to the world."

"The best way, I believe, that China can approach this is to regard the dragon as an asset, an emblem to be proud of, just like the Welsh people view their dragon," said the man who spent the 1990s in China and now mainly works on publication projects focused on China.

In his homeland Wales, the red dragon became a regular feature on the banners of the nation's armies and was recognized as the national emblem in the 12th century.

Today, the Welsh flag featuring the Red Dragon, which does look like a fierce beast, is flown all over Wales, and is regarded with pride and deep affection, Baxter said.

Severiano Gomez, who is from the United States and now works as a consultant at a British-invested property management company in Shanghai, said that he has found, after years of learning the Chinese language, that the dragon in Chinese culture is a creature that means festivity.

"I hope I can have good luck in the Year of the Dragon, and make more money," he said.