Where did 'Chen Loong' come from…..?

Hung Loong (The Chinese Dragon)

It represents the movement of Chi (energy). In martial arts dragon energy is coiling, rising and falling, agility, strength and bravery. The dragon appears as the national symbol of China and was the badge or power symbol of the Emperors and a deified force of nature in Taoism. Dragons are a beneficent force that dispense blessings in the supernatural and natural worlds. Moving through the heavens and gathering clouds and moisture to disperse life giving rains, but this force can also be destructive. The dragon can change in size and is associated with wind, rain, thunder and lightening. The phoenix (feng huang) represents the female principle, dragons represent the male principle. In the system of 5 elements they belong to the earth element. Often depicted persuing a flaming pearl which symbolises wisdom. Many myths and legends exist about the dragon and it is so important that there are more than 70 different ways of writing the Chinese character for dragon.

Since ancient times Chinese culture has a concept of universal energy called Chi, which is basically divided into three types:-

Heaven Chi (Dien or Tien Chi) Influences the weather, the planets and matters of spiritual intervention.
Human Chi (Zun Chi) The life force in living beings combined with human essence. Zun chi is strongly affected by tien chi and di chi. When human chi and essence is balanced humans can, on a global scale, accept help from heavenly chi and strengthen di chi. Earth Chi (Di Chi) Includes all the energies brought about by the earths existence e.g. gravity, electricity, magnetism as well as the potential energy of growth. All phenomena, situations and events result from interaction of three energies.

Y Ddraig Goch (The Welsh Dragon)

The legend of the Welsh dragon:- One of the Welsh kings planned to build a castle but each time the work was started the foundations began to crumble and the building collapsed. The king asked Merlin (Myrddin) for his help and was told that there was a lake under the foundations, so the lake was drained and the castle rebuilt but all to no avail, the castle fell down. The king was troubled and again asked Merlin for his help. Merlin told the king that under the lake there were two dragons which had been imprisoned by Llud and Llefelys and were the cause of the problems. These dragons were found, locked in battle, a white dragon representing England and the dark forces and a red dragon representing Wales. The white dragon forced the red into retreat by foul means but fled the scene. The red dragon retreated under the mountain (rumoured to be many Welsh mountains, Cader Idris etc.) where he lies in wait to return to the battle should the white return. Merlin explained that the Welsh would ultimately, after a long period of adversity, overcome the foreign invaders and maintain their language, lands and freedom and for this reason the red dragon is the symbol of resurgent Wales.

The symbolism of the Welsh flag:- Since the 10th Century the red dragon has embodied the Welsh people (the Cymry) and their history, their hopes and aspirations and their Welshness. The white in the flag represents the heavens, which specifically refers to the divine struggles of Wales. The green represents Cymru (land of my fathers) and shows the importance of the closeness between the landscape and its mountains and valleys and the people. Perhaps this closeness is difficult to explain to the non-Welsh but is summed up in the expression Hiraeth. Over time, in a broader sense, the dragon came to represent not just the Welsh nation but all human nations and the green not just Wales but the world. At the time of the end of the world the dragon will come to save it.