The Chinese Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) is around the corner, and this is a good time to teach foreigners about China’s rich culture. The more Westerners understand our traditions and culture, the better the mutual respect between the East and the West.

A timely cultural subject to discuss is Chinese people’s and Westerners’ polarized perceptions of the dragon. According to the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, the upcoming Chinese New Year is the Year of the “Loong” (long in pinyin), which is often known as the Chinese dragon. Personally, I hope the name “Year of the Loong” is officially used to replace “Year of the Dragon” to distinguish “Loong” from the Western dragon.

This is essential because the mythical animal has two entirely different connotations, reflecting the distinct cultural backgrounds of the East and the West. In Chinese culture, Loong symbolizes unity, harmony, inclusiveness, optimism, benevolence and diligence.

However, in Western culture, the dragon is a fire-breathing creature with a destructive nature, representing a malevolent force. The word “dragon” originated from the Latin word draco, or huge serpent. Western dragon culture is most notably represented in the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, the serpent is depicted as a cunning creature that lured Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, to eat fruit from the forbidden tree. That caused God to banish them from the Garden of Eden. In the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, the dragon is again depicted as a serpent, symbolizing Satan.

Moreover, many of the Western myths and poems, such as the Old English epic poem Beowulf, tell stories about brave men killing evil dragons, epitomizing individualism and heroism.

Let the Year of the Loong be a starting point for the world to learn more about the unity, harmony, inclusiveness, optimism, benevolence, diligence and other virtues of the Chinese people

In China, the Loong, however, eventually sublimated into a spiritual and cultural symbol of the Chinese people after thousands of years of evolution and integration. This has to do with the unique history and multiracial background of the Chinese nation, which is made up of 56 ethnic groups, with the Han population being the majority. Nevertheless, the different cultures of the 55 ethnic minorities have enriched the Chinese culture one way or another throughout the country’s 5,000 years of history.

In fact, Loong is the fusion of totems of different clans and tribes in ancient times, including the tiger, snake, ox, alligator, fish and so on. Our ancestors’ reverence for nature and its might resulted in the creation of a celestial creature with immense power and the wisdom to summon rain and clouds, ensuring bountiful harvests and bringing prosperity to the land. This gives a divine connotation to the mythical animal, transforming it gradually into an auspicious national emblem. The sublimation of Loong, a mixed product of different totems, into a sacred and immortal symbol of wisdom, good luck, power and wealth reflects the inclusiveness, collectivism, optimism and harmony of Chinese culture.

The Loong has become an essential element in Chinese art, literature, and popular culture, and this is also the main reason Chinese people use the term “descendants of the Loong” as a sign of ethnic identity. Actually, the word “loong” has become a popular name for Chinese people, including two world-renowned martial artists and actors, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. If Western people learned about the positive connotations of Loong in Chinese culture, that would help eliminate misunderstanding and stigmatization.

The internet helps to transmit information much faster and wider. Nevertheless, its powerful viral effect has also made it extremely easy and convenient to spread online rumors and slanders. The great changes in the international arena over the past four decades have seen an aggravation of malicious political propaganda on the internet.

China is a victim in this matter. The country’s peaceful rise has inevitably provoked the animosity of some malicious anti-China politicians and their proxies, who have been using the internet and the media to spread the so-called “China Threat Theory”. Some ingrained prejudices against Chinese people because of cultural differences and the historical closed-door mentality of the Chinese people have been manipulated and exaggerated by them to smear China and its people. Typical examples were the unfounded allegations against the Chinese people during SARS and COVID-19.

Chinese, regardless of nationality or bloodline, should guard against this kind of unscrupulous smearing of our cultural heritage for the sake of harmonious racial diversity and the coexistence of humanity. In fact, China has been striving to build a community of shared future for mankind with a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

Let the Year of the Loong be a starting point for the world to learn more about the unity, harmony, inclusiveness, optimism, benevolence, diligence and other virtues of the Chinese people.

The author is a Hong Kong-based freelance writer and is an adviser to the Hong Kong Association of Media Veterans.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.