Dragons are one of the most powerful symbols of Chinese culture 4
CHAPTER 1 The Red Pearl A mother and her son lived in a village near the Yangtze River in China They were very poor and had little food Every day the son went to the river to cut some grasses for them to eat One day the grasses he cut tasted very good 5
In Chinese art dragons are shown chasing pearls to symbolize their pursuit of wisdom The next day he went back to the same place to cut more He cut more the day after that But the patch of grass did not get any smaller 6
Then the boy found a red pearl in the patch of grass He took it home to show his mother They left it in the basket with a bit of grass The next morning the basket was filled with grass The boy’s mother put the pearl in a rice jar The next morning the jar was full of rice Chasing a Treasure In paintings and other artwork Chinese dragons are often shown playing with pearls Sometimes they chase the pearls Other times they hold pearls in their mouths or claws Pearls represent wisdom Some people believe they bring luck and prosperity 7
