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There is nothing like a dragon year – action aplenty, abundant opportunities and no time to waste in this luckiest of all years. Dragons bring prosperity (and did I hear you say about time!)

The soothsayers caution though: don’t debate – take action. But is anyone in the EU listening?

Dragon years bring discoveries, innovation and new technologies (Apple and Wikipedia both arose in Dragon years)

In Chinese astrology the dragon is the only animal of the Chinese zodiac year that is not real. He is revered; a deliverer of good fortune and a master of authority. He holds special significance for the Chinese people as according to tradition the Dragon brings in the Four Blessings of wealth, virtue, harmony and longevity – what more could one want!

This year is the Water Dragon variant and as such the likelihood of positive developments to reduce global warming. On the other hand Dragon years can bring extreme weather so we may see tsunamis, hurricanes, monsoons and other weather disasters.

Are you a Dragon?

People born in Dragon years are to be honoured and respected. Find out what sign you are:

More than 4,000 years ago in China, there were two large tribes and many smaller tribes. The tribes had animals as emblems. The two large tribes unified and chose the dragon as their symbol and the Chinese still call themselves the descendants of the Dragon (龙的传人).

You will have seen many sculptures and carvings of dragons. Even today, the Chinese associate the dragon with power and wisdom, so in Chinese astrology a dragon person is special. Born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon they usually stand out and command attention and respect. Expect big things in a dragon year!

Chinese dragons are the opposite of the western concept of a dragon – seen as negative in the west, as embodied in terms like ‘dragon lady’. In shape, connotation and concept the Chinese dragon is positive and everyone would like to be a Dragon.

So what might we see in a Dragon Year? Incentives coming into play in many countries as economies are stimulated and jobs created. More Arab Springs could bring about monumental changes – like Eastern Europe in the 1988 Dragon Year; this year look towards Russia and Korea.

"Hoping one's son will become a dragon" (望子成龍). Chinese hospitals are always packed to overflowing with prospective parents hoping for a little dragon.

The last Year of the Dragon, which occurred in 2000, had us excited about the millennium, but fearful about Y2K – this and other millennial prophecies have long been forgotten. By contrast, the Year of the Water Dragon (1952 and 2012) is noted for its calm, visionary intelligence - a balance of creativity and logic. All things going as predicted it should be a better year for the economy with an upturn in markets.

Business Profitable in Chasing the Dragon

Dragon years are always considered to be good for business. But dragons are spendthrifts too so take care to put something aside.

Dragons are lucky with new beginnings. So this means that effort can be put into launching new ideas and new ventures because the energy of the dragon year will ensure that the venture will be successful.

Characteristics - "Come not between the dragon and his wrath," wrote Shakespeare.
Dragons dominate: imaginative and intelligent, ambitious and honest, elegant and proud, brave yet quick tempered – sound like anyone you know? Confidence abounds and consequently they always succeed and usually make it to the top - colourful and magnificent but megalomaniacs also in their ranks.

All that enthusiasm and action and helping others can wear them out though. Burning the candle at both ends means that health can suffer. Meditation or Tai Chi will help.

As JK Rowling wrote: "It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden - anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous."

Dragons are not suited to a routine, or taking orders for that matter. They seek thrills and take risks and you’ll see them in the spotlight.  They have the knack of recovering from set-backs quickly. They can also find solutions where others find a brick wall and give up.

Dragons can lack sensitivity and even though they’ll give you the shirts of their backs, they may not provide the best shoulder to cry on. They can be loners too and while it might seem that they are the life and soul of the party – in fact they can be isolated and lonely.

Famous Dragon People

Deng Xiaoping, Vladimir Putin, Lee Hsien Loong, Yugoslav President Tito, Charles Darwin, Christian Dior, Florence Nightingale, Martin Luther King, Sigmund Freud, Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock, Jeffrey Archer, Bing Crosby, Neil Diamond, Placido Domingo, Kirk and Michael Douglas, Marlene Dietrich, Tom Jones, John Lennon, Al Pacino, Gregory Peck, Cliff Richard, Martin Sheen, Ringo Starr, Shirley Temple, Jane Goodall, Benjamin Franklin, Shirley MacLaine, George Bernard Shaw.

Cricketers Phillip Hughes and Brett Lee

In tennis: Marin Cilic, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Jimmy Connors and Australians Wendy Turnbull and Mark Philippoussis

Pollies Laurie Ferguson, Harry Jenkins, Craig Thompson, Ken Wyatt, Ron Boswell, Michael McCormack and Gough Whitlam – Gough surely is the epitome of the dragon.

Dragon Careers

Dragons are skilled specialists and have strong opinions and think they know best. Their innate aggression and competitiveness can sometimes lead a company into dangerous waters, so it would be wise to keep an eye on both the finances and legal aspects.

Computer analysts, inventors, engineers, architects, lawyers, philosophers, managing directors, advertising executives, film producers, film stars, prime ministers and presidents, astronauts, artists, war correspondents, politicians.

Compatibility

The dragon has many admirers, but doesn’t like to settle – a dragon can carry on many love affairs at the same time and is always in pursuit of new and exciting romances.

Dragons will get on well with Rats, Monkeys and Snakes; should avoid Oxen and Dogs.

Hua long dian jing 画龙点睛 – Paint the Eye of the Dragon

In the Liang Dynasty (about 4 – 6 AD), there lived a very famous painter Zhang Sengyou whose painting skills were exquisite.  So much so that the Emperor at that time always asked him to paint for the Buddhist temples he built.

One year, it is said, he was invited to paint for the Andong Temple in today’s Nanjing – his mission to paint 4 dragons on the walls.  He agreed and it took only three days to finish.  They were so life-like. They attracted a large audience every day which couldn’t believe how good they were.

But when people got close they found a fatal flaw blighting this otherwise perfection – none of them had eyes.  The people pressed the painter to return and complete the dragons. Painter Zhang explained that it wasn’t difficult to paint eyes, but if he did they would fly away. Huh! How could that be, the people mused, how absurd that dragons on a wall could fly away. Painter Zhang was a liar!

So Painter Zhang, rather than being called a liar, fronted up to “dian jing” – paint in the eyes. On this day a large crowd milled around. The painter raised his brush to them and gently painted the eyes into the first two dragons. Then something marvellous happened – as soon as he had finished,  clouds rolled in and the sky became overcast with thunder and lightning.  The next thing people saw were the two dragons breaking free of the wall and flying into the sky. They were dumbstruck. Only two dragons remained.

Hence arose the saying – hua long dian jing – to make something vivid or pivotal or strong – you put a cherry on the top, or the icing on the cake.

Are you a Dragon?

 

A Look back to past Dragon Years – Highs and Lows

2000 - The peak of the Dot-com bubble, the Dow Jones Industrial closed at 11,722 (yes the year was 2000!) The Dot Com Bubble Bursts – the low was 9571 also in 2000

Y2K

Dragon Vladimir Putin was elected President of Russia

Sydney Olympics

1988

Lockerbie Pan Am 747 blown up

Hubble telescope went into operation in deep space

Australia’s Parliament House was opened in 1988

First Trans-Atlantic fibre optic cable laid

First major computer virus strikes

1976

Tang Shan Earthquake killed over 650,000 in China

First Concorde flight

Chairman Mao died

Apple Computer Company formed

1964

First high speed rail in Japan

China exploded its first nuclear bomb

 

1952 London smog killed 4000

1928 Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin

 

This Dragon Year has been declared as both the International Year of Cooperatives and the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All by the UN

Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth (60 years on the throne)

London Olympics

China will launch the Kuafu space project – a space weather forecasting system.

 

18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will be the next major Congress of the Communist Party of China to ‘elect’ the next president

 

Australia and China will celebrate 40 years of Diplomatic Relations, established by that well-known Dragon, Gough Whitlam with Chairman Mao.

Chin Communications celebrates 20  years as the Chinese Translation Specialists

Pluck the pearl from the black dragon - 探驪得珠 (tàn lí dé zhū) - to get to the crux of the matter - let us help you get to the crux of all communications.

Ask about our 20th Anniversary specials - Until the end of February 2012, 20% off other language translations (in addition to Chinese translation)

 

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