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{{Short description|Symbol of Chinese mythology}}
{{Redirect|Thanh Long|the fruit known as "Thanh Long"|Pitaya{{!}}Dragonfruit}}

{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Azure_Dragon.jpg
| piccap = Qīnglóng sculpture on the eaves tile
| t = 青龍
| s = 青龙
| p = Qīnglóng
| j = Ceng<sup>1</sup>lung<sup>4</sup>
| y = Chēnglùhng
| poj = Chheⁿ-lêng or Chhiⁿ-lêng
| kanji = 青龍, 青竜
| hiragana = せいりゅう
| revhep = Seiryū
| kunrei = Seiryuu
| hangul = 청룡
| hanja = 靑龍
| rr = Cheongnyong
| l = Blue-green Dragon
| qn = Thanh Long
| chuhan = 青龍
}}

[[File:Flag of China (1889–1912).svg|thumb|The Azure Dragon on the national flag of China during the Qing dynasty, 1889-1912]]
[[File:Twelve Symbols national emblem of China.svg|thumb|The Azure Dragon on the Chinese national emblem, 1913-1928]]
[[File:Azure Dragon at Marina Bay Sands.jpg|alt=Marina Bay Sands Azure Dragon Display|thumb|Azure Dragon display at [[Marina Bay Sands]], Singapore, during Lunar New Year 2024.]]

The '''Azure Dragon''' ({{lang-zh|c=青龍|p=Qīnglóng}}) is one of the [[Dragon King|Dragon Gods]] who represent the mount or [[Chthonic deities|chthonic]] forces of the [[Wufang Shangdi|Five Regions' Highest Deities]] ({{zhi|c=五方上帝|p=Wǔfāng Shàngdì}}). It is also one of the [[Four Symbols]] of the [[Chinese constellations]], which are the astral representations of the Wufang Shangdi. The Azure [[Chinese dragon|Dragon]] represents the [[east]] and the [[Spring (season)|spring]] season.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/echoesfromoldchi0000tomk|url-access=registration|title=Echoes from Old China: Life, Legends, and Lore of the Middle Kingdom|last=Tom|first=K.S.|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|year=1989|isbn=9780824812850|pages=[https://archive.org/details/echoesfromoldchi0000tomk/page/55 55]|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> It is also sometimes referred to as the '''Blue-green Dragon''', '''Green Dragon''', or the '''Blue Dragon''' ({{zhi|c=蒼龍|p=Cānglóng}}).

The Dragon is frequently referred to in the media, [[feng shui]], other cultures, and in various venues as the Green Dragon and the Avalon Dragon.<ref name="Lee 1984">{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Ki-Baik|title=A new history of Korea|year=1984|publisher=Harvard University Press / Ilchokak|location=Cambridge / Seoul|isbn=978-0-674-61576-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2mdVwXpMzwC|edition=Translated|author2=Wagner, Edward W.}}</ref> His cardinal direction's epithet is "Bluegreen Dragon of the East" ({{zhi|c=東方青龍|p=Dōngfāng Qīnglóng}} or {{zhi|c=東方蒼龍|p=Dōngfāng Cānglóng}}).

This dragon is also known as {{Transliteration|ja|'''Seiryū'''}} in Japanese, {{Transliteration|ko|'''Cheongryong'''}} in Korean and {{lang|vi|'''Thanh Long'''}} in Vietnamese.

==Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon==
As with the other three [[Four Symbols|Symbols]], there are seven astrological "Mansions" (positions of the [[Moon]]) within the Azure Dragon. The names and determinative stars are:<ref>{{cite web | url=http://idp.bl.uk/education/astronomy/sky.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104154237/http://idp.bl.uk/education/astronomy/sky.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=2015-11-04 | title=The Chinese Sky | publisher=[[International Dunhuang Project]] | access-date=2011-06-25 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Sun | first=Xiaochun | editor=Helaine Selin | editor-link=Helaine Selin | title=Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures  | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=raKRY3KQspsC&pg=PA517 | year=1997 | pages=517 | publisher=[[Kluwer Academic Publishers]] | isbn=0-7923-4066-3 | access-date=2011-06-25}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Mansion no. !! Name (pinyin) !! Translation !! Determinative star
|-
| 1 || {{linktext|lang=zh|角}} ({{Transliteration|zh|Jiăo}}) || [[Horn (Chinese constellation)|Horn]] || [[Spica]]
|-
| 2 || {{linktext|lang=zh|亢}} ({{Transliteration|zh|Kàng}}) || [[Neck (Chinese constellation)|Neck]] || [[Kappa Virginis|κ Vir]]
|-
| 3 || {{linktext|lang=zh|氐}} ({{Transliteration|zh|Dĭ}}) || [[Root (Chinese constellation)|Root]] || [[Alpha Librae|α Lib]]
|-
| 4 || {{linktext|lang=zh|房}} ({{Transliteration|zh|Fáng}}) || [[Room (Chinese constellation)|Room]] || [[Pi Scorpii|π Sco]]
|-
| 5 || {{linktext|lang=zh|心}} ({{Transliteration|zh|Xīn}}) || [[Heart (Chinese constellation)|Heart]] || [[Antares]]
|-
| 6 || {{linktext|lang=zh|尾}} ({{Transliteration|zh|Wěi}}) || [[Tail (Chinese constellation)|Tail]] || [[Mu Scorpii|μ Sco]]
|-
| 7 || {{linktext|lang=zh|箕}} ({{Transliteration|zh|Jī}}) || [[Winnowing Basket (Chinese constellation)|Winnowing Basket]] || [[Gamma Sagittarii|γ Sgr]]
|}

== Cultural depictions ==
[[File:Yangshan Quarry connector road - marker - Azure Dragon - P1060799.JPG|thumb|The Azure Dragon on a road marker at [[Yangshan Quarry]]]]
{{Wikisource|:zh:說唐|說唐}}
In the ''{{ill|Shuo Tang|lt=Romance of the Tales of the Tang|zh|說唐}}'', the [[White Tiger (Chinese astronomy)|White Tiger]]'s star is reincarnated as fictionalized General [[Luo Cheng]], who serves [[Emperor Taizong of Tang|Li Shimin]].  The Azure Dragon's Star is reincarnated as General [[Shan Xiongxin]], who serves [[Wang Shichong]]. The two generals are sworn brothers of [[Qin Shubao]], [[Cheng Zhijie]] and [[Yuchi Gong]]. After death, their souls are said to possess heroes of the Tang dynasty and [[Goguryeo]], such as [[Xue Rengui]] and [[Yŏn Kaesomun]].

The Azure Dragon appears as a [[door god]] at Taoist temples. He was represented on the tomb of Wang Hui (stone coffin, east side) at Xikang in Lushan. A [[stone rubbing|rubbing]] of this was collected by [[David Crockett Graham]] and is in the [[Field Museum of Natural History]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Starr |first=Kenneth |title=Gift of Chinese Rubbings goes on Special Exhibition |journal=Chicago Natural History Museum Bulletin |date=December 1957 |pages=4–5 |publisher=[[Field Museum of Natural History]] |url=http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/chineserubbings/pdf/December_1957_Rubbings_Article.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104154247/http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/chineserubbings/pdf/December_1957_Rubbings_Article.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-11-04 |access-date=1 March 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | last = Walravens | first = Hartmut |author2=Hoshien Tchen |author3=Kenneth Starr |author4=Alice K. Schneider  | title = Catalogue of Chinese Rubbings from Field Museum | year = 1981 | publisher = Field Museum of Natural History | location = Chicago | oclc = 185544225 | url = https://archive.org/details/catalogueofchine03walr | access-date = 2 March 2012 }}</ref> The dragon featured on the [[Flag of the Qing dynasty|Chinese national flag]] in 1862–1912, and on the [[Twelve Symbols national emblem]] from 1913 to 1928.

==Influence==
[[File:Heian-jingû Shintô Shrine - Stone statue of Azure Dragon (Sôryû).jpg|thumb|150px| Azure Dragon presiding the ablution well of the [[Shinto]] [[Heian Shrine]] in Japan.]]

===Japan===
In Japan, the Azure Dragon is one of the four guardian spirits of cities and is believed to protect the city of [[Kyoto]] on the east.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ae8yAQAAQBAJ|title=Medicine Master Buddha: The Iconic Worship of Yakushi in Heian Japan|last=Suzuki|first=Yui|publisher=Brill|year=2011|isbn=9789004229174|pages=21|via=Google Books}}</ref> The west is protected by the [[White Tiger (mythology)|White Tiger]], the north is protected by the [[Black Tortoise]], the south is protected by the [[Vermilion Bird]], and the center is protected by the [[Yellow Dragon]].<ref name=":0" /> In Kyoto, there are temples dedicated to each of these guardian spirits. The Azure Dragon is represented in the [[Kiyomizu Temple]] in eastern Kyoto. Before the entrance of the temple there is a statue of the dragon, which is said to drink from the waterfall within the temple complex at nighttime. Therefore, each year a ceremony is held to worship the dragon of the east. In 1983, the [[Kitora Tomb]] was found in the village of [[Asuka, Nara|Asuka]]. All four guardians were painted on the walls (in the corresponding directions) and a system of the constellations was painted on the ceiling. This is one of the few ancient records of the four guardians.

===Korea===
In Korea, the murals of the [[Goguryeo]] tombs found at Uhyon-ni in [[South Pyongan]] province features the Azure Dragon and the other mythological creatures of the four symbols.<ref name="Lee 1984"/>

==Gallery==

{{Gallery
|width=200
|File:Si shen yun qi Painting form Liu Mai tomb.jpg|Azure Dragon of the East, Han dynasty.
|File:청룡 조선고적도보.jpg|The Azure Dragon mural depiction at the [[Goguryeo]] tombs.
|File:Wadang-qinglong.jpg|Depiction of the Azure Dragon on a tile.
|File:Dragon fountain at Kiyomizu-dera.jpg|The Azure Dragon by a fountain in Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto.
}}

== See also ==
*[[Chinese dragon]]
*[[Korean dragon]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons-inline}}

{{Chinese mythology}}
{{Chinese constellations}}

[[Category:Chinese constellations]]
[[Category:Chinese dragons]]
[[Category:Chinese gods]]
[[Category:Dragon deities]]
[[Category:Four Symbols]]
[[Category:Onmyōdō deities]]