In ancient Chinese legends, a dragon had nine sons, none of whom were like dragons and each had his or her own interests.

Several versions of the Nine Sons of the Dragon.

In ancient Chinese legends, a dragon had nine sons, none of whom were like dragons and each had his or her own interests.

Version 1:

Those who like heavy things: Bixi (sounds like Bixi), like to carry heavy objects on their backs, so they carry a stone tablet on their backs.

Good Watcher: 鸱ki (pronounced Chiki), who likes to look around the most, and are often decorated on the eaves. See the small decorative animals on the ridges of ancient Chinese buildings

鸸餮 (pronounced Taotie), the most greedy Eat, can eat and drink, often decorated on the lid of the tripod. Because it can drink water, some are also decorated on bridge railings to prevent floods from flooding the bridge.

Those who are good at killing by nature: Yaju (Yin Ya Zi), who are fond of killing and fighting, often decorated on the rings and hilts of weapons.

狴犴 (Yin Ya Zi), the most They hate criminals, so they are often decorated on the lintel of prisons.

Those who like fireworks: Suanni (sound-sour mud), who are good at fireworks, are often decorated on the button of the lid of the incense burner.

Water lovers: Papi (sounding Baxia) is located beside the bridge and likes water the most. It is often decorated on the top of the stone bridge railings. The four corners of the rear door bridge are covered with snakes, and the shape is very beautiful.

Meek-tempered: Jiaotu, most disgusted with others entering its lair, often decorated at the door.

Good ringer: Pulao, who likes music and roaring the most, is often decorated on the button of the big clock.

Version 2:

1. Bixi (bi, xi): shaped like a turtle, good at carrying loads. You can see him carrying a stone tablet in palaces, ancestral halls, and mausoleums all over the country. Among the various sayings of Long Zi, Bixi is generally ranked first among the Nine Sons.

2. Chiki (chi, wen): Likes to look around and is often placed on the ridge of a building, opening its mouth to swallow a ridge, and having a sword to fix it.

3. Pulao (pu, lao): has a rock and roll temperament, loves music, and loves to yell. It is used to decorate the tops of ancient musical instrument bells, and his figure can also be seen on the buttons of temple bells.

4. Bian (bi, an): in charge of prison. It is often decorated on the lintel of the death row prison. Because its shape resembles a tiger, there is also a folk saying of Tiger Head Prison.

5. Suan Ni (suan, ni): has Buddha nature and likes incense, which can be seen on the lid of the incense burner. Moreover, Suanni is also the mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva and can be seen in temples dedicated to Manjushri Bodhisattva. There is also a temple dedicated to Suanni on Mount Wutai, the dojo of Manjushri Bodhisattva. Because Suanni is the fifth son of the dragon, the temple is named Wuye Temple, which has great influence in the local area. Yichong once visited this temple, and the incense was extremely strong.

6. Taotie (hao, tie): gourmet, gluttonous. Taotie patterns can often be seen on bronzes unearthed during the Xia and Shang dynasties, representing ferocious monsters with heads and no bodies.

7. Yazhen (ya, zi): cruel and irritable temperament, likes to fight. This is what the folk idiom "Yaiju must retaliate" says. Their statues can usually be seen on the handles of some weapons or on the rings at the tail ends to enhance the murderous intent.

8. Shutu (shu, tu): looks like a snail and a clam, has a docile temperament and is a bit autistic. So he was placed on the door with the knocker in his mouth to prevent Xiaoxiao from visiting.

9. Pixiu (pi, xiu): It is called the ninth son of the dragon in the South and Southeast Asia. It has a big mouth without an anus and can only go in but not out. It is very popular among gamblers. A jade ferret was placed in the Macau casino, and it was said that it would eat all kinds of food, and it would only make money but no loss.

Version 3:

The dragon gave birth to nine sons. In ancient times, there was a folk legend that "the dragon gave birth to nine sons, but they did not become dragons, and each had his own interests." But there are different opinions on what Jiuzi is.

"China's Auspicious Illustrations" says:

The eldest of the nine sons is called Qiu Niu. He loves music and squats on the head of the piano; Fighting, engraved on the sword ring and hilt to swallow the mouth;

The third child was called Chaofeng, and he was very dangerous in his life. The beast in the corner of the palace is his portrait;

The fourth son Pulao, When it is hit, it roars loudly and serves as the animal knob to carry the bell, helping its sound to spread far and wide;

The fifth son Suan Ni (suan ni), shaped like a lion, likes smoking and sitting, leaning on the foot of the incense burner , followed by swallowing smoke and blowing out mist;

Liu Zibaxia, also known as XX (bi xi), looks like a turtle with teeth and likes to bear heavy loads, so it is the turtle under the stele;

Seven Zibaxia Bi gan (bi gan), looks like a tiger and is fond of litigating, and there are its images on both sides of the prison gate or the official hall;

The eight sons bear the burden, the body is like a dragon, elegant and gentle, coiled on the top of the stone tablet;

Lao Jiu Chi (chi) kiss, also known as owl tail or chi (chi) kiss, has a moist mouth and thick throat and is easy to swallow, so it became a spine-swallowing beast at both ends of the palace ridge, using it to extinguish fires and eliminate disasters.

The book "The Origin of the Gods" says that "Sheng'an Waiji" records that the nine sons of the dragon are: quality, shaped like a turtle and good at carrying heavy loads, that is, the turtle under the stele; Chiki, shaped like a beast, good in nature, Standing on the ridge of the roof; Taotie, good food, standing on the lid of the tripod; Earthworm, good at standing, standing on the pillars of the bridge; Jiaotu, like a snail and clam, good at closing, standing at the head of the door; Golden Ni, shaped like a lion, good at fireworks, standing on the incense burner ; plus the three of Pulao, Bian, and Yasu, they are exactly the nine sons of the dragon.

A brief review of the Nine Sons of the Dragon

Chinese people claim that they are descendants of the dragon and take the dragon as their ancestor. The history of dragons has a long history in China, spanning north and south. In Sanxing Tala, Inner Mongolia in the north, a jade-carved pig dragon was discovered in 1971. According to expert research, it was about 6,000-7,000 years ago; at the Banpo Yangshao Cultural Site in Xi'an, a pottery pot with dragon patterns was unearthed; thousands of miles away, The artifacts unearthed from the Liangzhu Culture in Wuxian County, Jiangsu Province are engraved with a connecting pattern that looks like a snake but is not a snake, which is the symbol of the dragon totem worship of the ancient Yue people. This shows that totem worship of dragons existed at least in the middle Neolithic Age. The formation of the dragon began around the Neolithic Age. After the development of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, it was basically formed in the Qin and Han Dynasties. It separated from the specific animal image in nature and became a special animal that combines the spirituality and expertise of various animals. By the Tang Dynasty, dragons had become the emperor's patent. The dragon pattern could only be used on the emperor's clothes and utensils, and the dragon became a symbol of imperial power. After the Song Dynasty, there were more legends about the history and family of dragons. In the process of forming its image, the dragon has embraced a variety of weird beast images. Later, as the image of the dragon developed, these strange beast statues incorporated certain characteristics of the dragon, forming the different sayings that the dragon gave birth to nine sons. But there is no precise record of what the nine sons of the dragon are and who ranks first and who ranks second. There are also various opinions among the people, but they all agree. It is said that Zhu Youtang, Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, once asked Li Dongyang, the well-known scholar of the Ministry of Rites, on a whim: "I heard that the dragon gave birth to nine sons. What are the names of each of the nine sons?" Made a list. According to Li Dongyang's list, the nine sons of the dragon are: Pa Pi, Chaofeng, Jiazui, Bixi, Shutu, Chiki, Pulao, Suanni and Qiuniu. However, there are far more than just a few dragon sons in folklore. Biuan, Pixiu, Taotie, etc. are all said to be the sons of the dragon. As long as you know the formation process of the Nine Sons of the Dragon, it is not difficult to understand why there are so many theories about the Nine Sons of the Dragon. The so-called dragon gave birth to nine sons does not mean that the dragon gave birth to nine sons exactly. In ancient Chinese traditional culture, the number nine often represents many things and has the supreme status. Nine is an imaginary number and a noble number, so it is used to describe dragons. If we have to choose nine sons, we should choose the nine who have the greatest influence among the people. Li Dongyang was also in a hurry to make a deal, and the list he proposed was not representative. Ichong consulted some information, combined with the folk customs he saw during his travels to various places, and re-listed the list of the nine sons of dragons according to folk influence, frequency of occurrence and other factors. Bixi: shaped like a turtle, good at carrying heavy loads. You can see him carrying a stone tablet in palaces, ancestral halls, and mausoleums all over the country. Among the various sayings of Long Zi, Bixi is generally ranked first among the Nine Sons.

Chiki: Likes to look around. It is often placed on the ridge of a building, with its mouth open to swallow the ridge, and has a sword to fix it. Pulao: He has a rock and roll temperament, loves music, and loves to yell. It is used to decorate the tops of ancient musical instrument bells, and his figure can also be seen on the buttons of temple bells.狴犴: in charge of prison. It is often decorated on the lintel of the death row prison. Because its shape resembles a tiger, there is also a folk saying of Tiger Head Prison. Suanni: has Buddha nature and likes incense, which can be seen on the lid of the incense burner. Moreover, Suanni is also the mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva and can be seen in temples dedicated to Manjushri Bodhisattva. There is also a temple dedicated to Suanni on Mount Wutai, the dojo of Manjushri Bodhisattva. Because Suanni is the fifth son of the dragon, the temple is named Wuye Temple, which has great influence in the local area. Yichong once visited this temple, and the incense was extremely strong. Taotie: Gourmet, gluttonous. Taotie patterns can often be seen on bronzes unearthed during the Xia and Shang dynasties, representing ferocious monsters with heads and no bodies. Yaizhen: Brutal and irritable temperament, likes to fight. This is what the folk idiom "Yaiju must retaliate" says. Their statues can usually be seen on the handles of some weapons or on the rings at the tail ends to enhance the murderous intent. Shutu: Shaped like a snail and a clam, docile and somewhat autistic. So he was placed on the door with the knocker in his mouth to prevent Xiaoxiao from visiting. Pixiu: Known as the ninth son of the dragon in the South and Southeast Asia, it has a big mouth without an anus and can only go in but not out. It is very popular among gamblers. A jade ferret was placed in the Macau casino, and it was said that it would eat all kinds of food, and it would only make money but no loss.