No. 1 Dragon in China
This refers to the dragon-shaped pattern laid out with clamshells at an early Yangshao Culture site in Puyang, Henan Province. The dragon has a raised head, a curvy neck, an arched body, and a long tail, and it looks ready to soar with its front and rear claws pushing the ground. The Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences dated the clamshell dragon at around 4600 BC, hence the name the "No. 1 dragon in China."
Dragons play an important role in the Chinese culture. In addition to unveiling the origin of the dragon image in China, the discovery of the clamshell dragon has multifold significance for the study of the long-standing dragon culture, which is a prominent token of the Chinese culture. Official historical documents have recorded more than 300 dragon-related events, not to mention numerous records in other forms. The dragon culture, having enjoyed wide popularity for thousands of years, is embedded in every aspect of Chinese society and culture, as manifested in such forms as dragon-themed adornments, carvings, dances, festivals, noodles, and boating races.
Dragon, as a symbol of the Chinese nation, has evolved into a culture that holds the Chinese people together. For modern Chinese, it stands for a bond of flesh and blood, and terms like "offspring of the dragon" and "descendants of the dragon" fill them with aspiration and pride. Not only being inherited and promoted at home, the dragon culture is also widely spread by overseas Chinese, helping the rest of the world better understand China and its culture.
“中華第一龍”
“中華第一龍”是指在河南省濮陽市一處早期仰韶文化遺址中發(fā)現(xiàn)的蚌殼龍形圖案，此龍昂首、曲頸、弓身、長尾，前爪扒、后爪蹬，狀似騰飛。經(jīng)中國社會科學(xué)院考古研究所測定，蚌龍的年代約為公元前4600年，遂被稱為“中華第一龍”。
中國是龍的故鄉(xiāng)，“中華第一龍”的發(fā)現(xiàn)不僅為中國的龍形象找到了源頭，而且在龍文化研究上有多方面的重要意義。龍文化源遠(yuǎn)流長，是中國文化的突出符號。中國歷代正史記載的龍事件大概有三百多起，其他類型的文獻(xiàn)更是豐富。龍文化深入到了中國社會的各個角落，影響波及了文化的各個層面。龍裝飾、龍雕刻、舞龍、二月二龍?zhí)ь^、龍須面、龍舟賽等，都是幾千年來流行于民間的龍文化。
龍作為中華民族的象征，數(shù)千年來已深深扎根于中國人的心中，形成了具有強(qiáng)大凝聚力的龍文化。對現(xiàn)代中國人來說，龍的形象是一種符號、一種血肉相聯(lián)的情感，“龍的子孫”“龍的傳人”這些稱謂，令中國人激動、奮發(fā)、自豪。龍的文化除在中華大地上傳播和承繼外，還被海外華人廣泛傳播，增進(jìn)了世界各國人民對中華文化的了解和認(rèn)同。
