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The Chinese Dragon Tattoo - What Does it Mean?

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Dragon tattoos, also sometimes referred to as Oriental dragons, are one of the most popular choices in the mythical creature category of tattoos.  People are drawn to the history, fascinated by their power and strength and are attracted to the dynamic visual impact of the dragon tattoo design.

The Chinese dragon's meaning is almost the opposite of the reputation of the European dragons of fairy tale fame.  The European version is known for virgin eating, stealing treasures, and burning and terrifying the villagers.  Chinese dragons, on the other hand, are respected, revered, noble creatures that are known for their good will.

These creatures differ in their physical makeup as well. They are snake-like and most often don't have wings. They also have five claws. Chinese dragons are extremely specific in design. They have 117 scales - 81 are positive (yang) while 36 are negative (ying).

The Chinese dragon has a strong affiliation with water and often lived in lakes and oceans.  One of the powers they were known for was the ability to bring rain which has made the Chinese dragon a popular tattoo choice for firemen in Japan.  The tattoos symbolize protection and protects them while they battled fires.