Chinese Dragon

Is the Chinese dragon based on fact, not mythology?

J. O’Malley Irwin asked this very question in a 1916 article he penned for Scientific American. I have reprinted the article below:

"During the latter part of a holiday trip in the Yangtze Gorges undertaken by my wife and self in November 1915, we met Mr. M. Hewlett, British Consul at Ichang, and his wife, and in their company spent a day in the Ichang Gorge, landing at various points to climb the cliffs and explore some of the numerous caves.

"While exploring a large cave on the right bank of the river, about one mile above the Customs Station at Ping Shan Pa, we discovered the fossils about to be described. The cave is reputed by the Chinese to extend some 20 miles to a point near Ichang. It is reported that a party of bluejackets from H.M.S. “Snipe” spent three days in the cave some years ago and that they failed to reach the end. Evidence that this party penetrated beyond the point where the discovery was made exists in the name of their ship painted on the cave walls at a point considerably farther in. The Chinese name of the cave is Shen K’an Tzu, which means “The Holy Shrine,” and one of the characters forming the word K’an is the Chinese character for “dragon.” A large rock is seen at the entrance, and some eight or ten yards behind this there is a peculiar piece of curved rock bearing some slight resemblance to a portion of a dragon's body; the resemblance is possibly suggestive enough to impress the Chinese mind, but altogether fails to impress the foreigner. After proceeding some hundred yards inside the cave we found ourselves walking on a peculiar ridge in order to avoid the surrounding pools of water. This ridge curved backward and forward across the width of the cave like the curves of a large serpent, the suggestion being so strong that we lowered our lamps in order to examine the ridge more closely. To our astonishment and delight, we found that we were in very truth walking along a perfect fossil of some huge reptile. Further inspection revealed the presence of six or eight of these enormous monsters. Having taken a few small specimens of loose portions of scale for examination in a better light, we left, planning to return the following morning for the purpose of measurement.

"On our return the following morning we selected one of the largest fossils lying for a great part of its length isolated from the others—the coils of the remainder being rather entangled. The isolated portion measured 70 feet, so that it is absolutely certain that the length is at least 70 feet, and as far as we could ascertain, this same specimen extended for another 60 or 70 feet. However, I admit that error is possible here, owing to the interlacing coils of the reptiles. The depth of the body seen in the foreground of the first illustration is two feet. The head is partially buried in the cave wall and appears to be a large, flat head similar to that of the Morosaurus Comperi. About 12 or 14 from the head two legs are seen partially uncovered, and again two more about 50 feet from the head. The fact that several persons have penetrated this cave in former years beyond the point where the discovery was made seems to indicate the fossils have been but recently uncovered; probably by a heavy discharge of water through the cave. It seems probable that these reptiles were trapped by some volcanic disturbance and starved to death; the size of the bodies compared to their length would indicate this. A point of peculiar interest is the resemblance to the Chinese dragon of these fossils. I believe that it has heretofore been supposed that the Chinese borrowed their idea of the dragon from Western mythology. The discovery has created a great stir among the local Chinese and foreigners, who are daily flocking to view the fossils. I am attempting to interest the Chinese authorities in Pekin and also the Chinese Monuments Society in order that the specimens may be preserved from damage." [Emphasis mine.]

—Irwin, J. O’Malley. “Is the Chinese Dragon Based on Fact, Not Mythology?” Scientific American 114, no. 16 (1916).

I think the Chinese dragon was based on fact and not mythology. However, I do not think it was based entirely off of fossils. Instead, I think it was a dinosaur-like creature that survived into fairly recent times. Something the ancient Chinese saw with their own eyes.

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