All Of The Chinese Dragon Names From Mythology To Inspire You

Georgia Stone
Feb 16, 2024 By Georgia Stone
Originally Published on Dec 01, 2020
Chinese dragon statue with clear sky
Age: 0-99
Read time: 10.8 Min

Chinese culture is rich in its mythology. Dragons are one of the most popular creatures in Chinese mythology. These creatures inhabit all sorts of habitats across the country: water, sand, trees, mountains, and more.

A Chinese dragon, is often known as Long or Lung or even called the Oriental dragon in many legendary Chinese mythology and folklore.

There are nine types of Chinese dragons: Tianlong or the Celestial Dragon, Shenlong or the Spiritual Dragons, Fucanglong, the Dragons of Hidden Treasures, Dilong, the Underground Dragons, Yinglong, the Winged Dragons, Qiulong, the Horned Dragons, Panlong, the Coiling Dragons, Huanglong, the Yellow Dragons, and Lóng Wáng, the Dragon Kings as the name suggests, they are the most powerful Chinese dragon.

While they don't have wings similar to dragons found in western mythology, many of them can fly.  

If you want more dragons related inspiration why not look at white dragon names or draconic names, right here on Kidadl.

Earth Dragons

Chinese New Year Dragon Decoration on blue sky background

Chinese culture venerates nature, whether land, water, or plants. In China, every living being has a Chi. These chinese dragons mentioned below serve as guardians, enforcers, or even intermediaries for people on earth.

1. Anfu means “shore belly”. This is a yellow dragon with a grainy underbelly that has the appearance of beach sand.

2. Anlong means “shore dragon”. This is a dragon that mostly exists in the mythology of riverine communities in China.

3. Baigeng means “white neck”. This is a dragon that serves as a guardian of the innocent and is depicted in the mythology of the countryside.

4. Bailong means “white dragon”. This dragon is covered in scales that are white or reflective.

5. Baishe means “white snake”. This is another white dragon though one that was said to have appeared to a rice farmer.

6. Baolong means “leopard dragon”. This is a feline looking dragon with black lines on its face.

7. Caoteng means “flying grass dragon”.

8. Chinxi means “healing snake”. This is a dragon thought to give humans vast amounts of medical knowledge. One of the kindest Chinese dragons.

9. Dabei means “big back”. This is a green or red dragon that is revered in southern Chinese mythology.

10. Daolong means “island dragon”. This is a dragon that is said to have appeared on the shores and the islands surrounding the Chinese coasts.

11. Digeng means “earth neck”. This is a guardian dragon that oversees the harvests and vitality of the earth.

12. Dilian means “earth cheeks”. This is one of the Chinese dragons associated with the harvest and harvest season.

13. Duanlian means “short face”. Like the name suggests this dragon has a face that is very narrow along the side.

14. Feilong means “flying dragon”. As the name suggests, this is a dragon that can fly.

15. Feiyan means “flying eye”. This is a dragon with several eyes, and is another one of the Chinese dragons that can fly.

16. Fenjong means “harvest dragon”. This is a dragon that is said to destroy harvests when it is angered.

17. Fenlon means “pink dragon”. As this name suggests, this dragon is depicted as having a body covered with peach scales.

18. Fialin means “messenger dragon”. This is a dragon that brought word from the supernatural realm.

19. Gainxi means “rhino dragon”. As the name suggests, it is a dragon with a rhino horn.

20. Goulong means “dog dragon”. This is a guardian dragon that is highly venerated in ancient mythology.

21. Grilong means “dark dragon”. This is a belligerent dragon that was said to cause crop failures and flooding. One of the most feared Chinese dragons.

22. Guobei means “foreign back”. This is a dragon that is very obscure. Not much is known about its activities.

23. Guowei means “orchard stomach”. This is another tree dragon that signifies good luck for fruit farmers.

24. Guoxin means “foreign heart”. a dragon that was said to bring news of the invasion. They are the yellow emperor of Chinese dragons.

25. Haishe means “the sea snake”. This is a long slender water dragon that slides, as a snake would.

26. Haixiong means “sea chest”. This dragon is also a coastal dragon and is known to bring rain.

27. Hanyan means “cold eyes”. This refers to the fact that the dragon is depicted in Chinese mythology as having no eyes.

Dragons You Might Not Have Heard Of

Isolate gold dragon on white backgound

Chinese culture is full of fun interesting mythological information. There are many dragons from China whose names and their meaning will make you laugh out loud.

28. Heilong means “chimp dragon”. As the name suggests, this Chinese dragon resembles a primate including opposable thumbs.

29. Heiyan means “dark throat”. This is a dragon that is a guardian.

30. Helong means “hippo dragon”. This is a very large dragon and is one of the dragons that can swim as well as fly.

31. Heshe means “river snake”. This is a riverine dragon. They are also called dragon kings.

32. Hexijing means “hot chest”. This dragon is said to have a heart of burning flames.

33. Houfu means “thick belly”. This is depicted to be more similar to the concept of dragon recognizable in the western world.

34. Houlihan means “thick face”. As the name suggests, this dragon has a very large face.

35. Houlong means “thick dragon”. This dragon is fiery red and extremely large

36. Huangbei means “yellowback”. This is a yellow dragon with wings.

37. Hufu means “lake belly dragon”. This dragon has a crystal clear underbelly that makes it seem like the sky or a sea is descending. A very cool Chinese dragon.

38. Hugeng means “lake neck”. This refers to a dragon said to guard a lake that sits between the human world and the next world.

39. Huiteng means “gray flying dragon”. Just like the name suggests, this is a flying dragon covered in grey scales.

40. Hulong means “fox dragon”. As the name suggests, this dragon has fox like features and was said to rise from the ashes of a fox.

41. Hushen means “lake sea monster”. This is one of the Chinese dragons that lives in a lake.

42. Hutong means “flying monsoon dragon”. This is another dragon that is known to bring chaos whenever it is spotted.

43. Jielong means “sister dragon”. This is a dragon that is very docile and was said in Chinese myth to actually ambush people by accident.

44. Julong means “hurricane dragon”. It is a dragon of chaos and its appearance is said to portend calamity.

45. Langlong means “dragon wolf”. This is a long mystical dragon with wolf-like facial features.

46. Lihue means “maroon throat”. This is a dragon whose appearance was believed to be seasonal.

47. Lizlin means “rhino dragon”. It is another dragon that is also known to have a prominent mid horn.

48. Lulong means “deer dragon”. This dragon is so named for its prominent anthers and nose.

49. Lucia means “green snake”. This dragon is covered in green scales.

50. Malong “horse dragon”. This particular dragon gets its name from its speed and from its horse-shaped mouth.

51. Meonlong means “tree bark dragon”. This dragon is covered with snakes that look like the bark of a tree.

52. Mulong means “mother dragon”. This dragon was believed to bring his harvest and prosperity.

53. Niaolong means “bird dragon”. This dragon has avian morphological qualities such as feathers, kind of like a dinosaur.

54. Niaying means “noble flight”. This dragon was famed to be quick as light.

55. Panlong means “coiled dragon”. This is a dragon that is spiral-shaped and has the appearance of boring through the air.

56. Panya means “coiled teeth”. That is a dragon depicted as having fangs that coil upwards from their lower jaw.

57. Pengshe means “friend tongue”. This is a messenger dragon that was believed to signify the end of the famine.

58. Pulong means “waterfall dragon”. This is a dragon that is found near a waterfall or a stream.

59. Qianfu means “light blue belly”. This is a dragon with a metallic blue colored underbelly. They are also called dragon kings.

60. Qianlian means “light-blue cheeks”. This is a dragon that has a blue cheek though recreations of these are used in festivals today.

61. Qilong means “wife dragon”. This dragon is said to appear in pairs or threes and to portend an end to the war.

Celestial Dragons

Many Chinese mythological creatures have celestial functions. Dragons are not left out. Below are some of the names of the Chinese dragons with powers of the stars.

62. Qinglong means “light dragon”. It is a dragon said to be associated with the sun's power and the spiritual life force of sunlight.

63. Qingtou means “light head”. It is a dragon with a luminescent head. Its appearance is thought to symbolize good fortune.

64. Qiubei means “curling back”. This is a curled dragon.

65. Qiulian means “curling face”.

66. Relian means “hot cheeks”. This dragon has engorged red cheeks from where it gets its name.

67. Senteng means “ flying forest dragon”. In addition to being airborne, it exclusively a forest creature.

68. Shanlong means mountain dragon”. This is a dragon that was claimed to live in the highest altitudes of the Himalayan ranges. It is also called dragon kings.

69. Shanshe means “mountain snake”. This is a snake-like feral dragon claimed to inhabit mountain summits.

70. Shanyan means “mountain eye”. This refers to a seer dragon.

71. Shenlong means “spirit dragon”. An auspicious red dragon whose appearance is thought to symbolize luck.

72. Shenshe means “spirit snake”. This dragon crawls like a snake,  hence the descriptive name.

73. Shilong means “lion dragon”. This dragon was said to be very ferocious and fiery.

74. Shinxi means “tiger dragon”. This is another of the fierce Chinese dragons.

75. Shuteng means flying tree dragon”. This is a forest dragon that serves to protect the life force of the forest.

76. Siolung means “rice snake”. This is a dragon that appears mostly to brave warrior farmers.

77. Siuping means “night dragon”. This is one of the dragons that was said to be black, this one was also covered in glittering scales.

78. Tailong means “sun dragon” or “fire dragon”. It is a blood-red fire breathing dragon.

79. Tianshe means “sky tongue”. In ancient mythology, this dragon alerted locals to any drastic changes in the weather.

80. Tilang means “beach crawler”. This is for the dragon depicted as a protector of the beaches and water.

81. Wulong means “fog dragon”. This is an auspicious dragon that only makes an appearance in the morning during the rainy seasons.

82. Xaolong means “faint dragon”. According to Chinese mythology, this particular dragon is seasonal and is said to appear after the harvest.

83. Xianglong means “brother dragon”. This a dragon that was claimed to appear in a battle on one side, signing who will win the battle.

84. Xiaolong means “mouse dragon”. This is a small dragon that is depicted as mild but discerning.

85. Xilong means “wind dragon”. In Chinese mythology, this is a dragon that is faster than the wind.

86. Xinglong means “star dragon”. This is the dragon that guides the stars to their positions in the sky.

87. Xingshen means “sea star monster”. Unlike the name would suggest, this dragon is portrayed as a docile creature.

88. Xiongjong means “jade dragon”. This is a dragon that is very inauspicious and marks bad luck.

89. Xionglong means “panda dragon”. This is a dragon that mostly appears around the bamboo season, we think it has one of the coolest names.

90. Yanglong means “sheep dragon”. This is a Sephardic that was said to appear in the mountains.

91. Yaoshe means “herb snake”. This is a much smaller dragon that stays in bushes.

92. Yaozui means “herb mouth”. This is a dragon that is known to be versed in the knowledge of medicinal plants.

93. Yinglong means “eagle dragon”. It is another dragon with prominent avian features including brightly colored feathers.

94. Ying means “messenger”. This is a dragon that always bears news of the future with it.

95. Yingshe means “responsive snake”. It is another dragon that slides like a snake as a way of movement.

96. Yingzui means “responsive mouth”. Thus is a messenger dragon that normally passed wisdom to men.

97. Yinshe means “silver snake”. This is a dragon with a silvery armor of scales.

98. Yinxing means “festivals dragon”. That is a dragon whose likeness used to be commonly used in festivities.

99. Yulong means “rain dragon”. This is small and slender and has the power to cause rain.

100. Zhanglong means “husband dragon”. This is a dragon that was known to bring rain after a protracted drought.

101. Zilong means “purple dragon”. As the name suggests, this dragon is covered in shiny lavender scales.

If you liked our suggestions for Chinese dragon names why not check out our articles on gold dragon names or, for something different, try our ultimate guide to the dragons of 'Game Of Thrones.'

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Written by Georgia Stone

Bachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art

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Georgia StoneBachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art

Georgia is an experienced Content Manager with a degree in French and Film Studies from King's College London and Bachelors degree from Université Paris-Sorbonne. Her passion for exploring the world and experiencing different cultures was sparked during her childhood in Switzerland and her year abroad in Paris. In her spare time, Georgia enjoys using London's excellent travel connections to explore further afield.

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