Azure Dragon

靑龍 · Eastern Guardian of the Four Symbols

The Azure Dragon (靑龍, Qinglong) is the sacred dragon guarding the east among the Four Symbols (Four Cardinal Gods) of East Asian mythology. The Four Symbols system — Azure Dragon East, White Tiger West, Vermilion Bird South, Black Tortoise North — represents the four cardinal directions, four seasons, and Five Elements, becoming the core of astronomy and feng shui from Han dynasty China (2nd c. BCE). Governing spring, the east, the wood element, and azure color, it is the celestial constellation integrating the seven eastern lunar mansions (Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, Ji). Unlike the general Chinese imperial dragon, it is depicted as more serpentine with cyan scales, deer antlers, and carp scales. Best preserved in Korean Goguryeo tomb murals and Japanese Asuka-period Kitora Tomb paintings.