Oriental dragon

The dragon in the Orient is depicted as a long, scaled, snake-like creature with five or fewer claws. It derives originally from the Chinese dragon with slight variations in other countries in the region. In contrast to the European dragon which stands on four legs and which is usually portrayed as evil, the Oriental dragon has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in folklore and art. And, unlike European dragons which are usually associated with fire, Oriental dragons are more likely to have a close connection with water. The zodiacal dragon of Chinese astrology that is used throughout much of East and Southeast Asia is represented by the Oriental dragon.

There are some differences among the various Oriental dragons. For example, Japanese dragons tend to be much more slender and fly less frequently than other Oriental dragons, which may cause the Japanese dragon to appear particularly serpentine. While Chinese dragons have five toes on each foot, Japanese dragons have three.