China is a country rich with colorful history, strong culture, and respect for traditions.
There is such an intertwining of true events, legends, folklore, and customs that it can be difficult to establish fact from fiction.
For many Chinese people, however, what Western culture sees as superstition, old wives' tales, and belief in the supernatural, is very real and deserving of proper attention.
If you've ever read a book by Amy Tan, for example, you'll know just how seriously Chinese mythology is taken by her family.
Ms.
Tan is an American writer of Chinese descent, who often infuses her own life experiences into her novels and other writings.
In them, she has explored the differences between Western and Eastern cultures; struggling to find her own sense of where she uniquely fits between her American upbringing and her immigrant parents.
One particular passage from her novel "The Joy Luck Club" focused on her experience with ghosts and the beliefs of Chinese people about ghosts.
Ghosts and spirits are very real to the Chinese people, and must be paid due respect.
Similarly, Chinese mythology includes tales of the Four Dragon Kings.
These four Dragon Kings each rule a different sea and direction.
The Dragon King of the South is Ao Qin, the Dragon King of the North is Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the East is Ao Guang, and the Dragon King of the West is Ao Run.
It is said that these Kings are in their truest form when they appear as dragons, but can transform into humans, as well.
Their opulent crystal palaces are guarded by shrimp and crabs-an army of aquatic life.
Parallel to controlling the seas, the Dragon Kings control rain and clouds.
When rain is needed, it is believed that calling upon the Dragon Kings can bring what the people and land need.
Unfortunately, if a Dragon King is upset with you, he can bring enough rain to flood the land and take lives.
Chinese dragons tend to be seen with five claws, while dragons from other nations are represented by different numbers of claws.
The character of dragons, as highlighted with the four Dragon Kings, is one of ultimate power in Chinese mythology.
Though the dragons can be vengeful when they deem necessary, they are generally regarded as just.
It is an interesting mix of perspective when you note the influence Eastern culture has on Western trends.
For many years now, we have seen an increase in Asian influences in interior décor ranging from rugs to bedding to kitchen ware.
The contrast of how dragons are interpreted-good by the Chinese, evil by Europeans-shows how easily misunderstandings between nations can occur.
Another example of American interpretation can be found in many U.
S.
cities: Chinese buffet restaurants.
Chinese food has long been a favorite of many Westerners, though sometimes the emphasis on cooking with fresh ingredients is lost in an effort to quickly serve Americans vast quantities of food, such as at a buffet.
Another tradition that has taken on variations in all parts of the world involves tea.
As the national drink of China, hot tea is becoming increasingly popular with Americans.
The four main types of tea include: black, white, green, and oolong.
Oolong is said to be the smoothest of the four types, with a slightly fruit-infused flavor that appeals to drinkers of all ages.
Preparing oolong or "black dragon" tea is a traditional process, involving fermenting the tea leaves to a certain point before (semi-fermentation) before then drying the leaves, in preparation for them to be used in a tea drink.
Traditional brewing of oolong tea involves "waking" these black dragon leaves with nearly-boiling water before pouring off the liquid and adding a second batch of hot water.
Make sure you carefully follow brewing instructions when preparing high quality tea.
While Western civilization has sometimes used dragons to symbolize the nation of China, it is an image that China itself rarely uses.
Partly this is because of the aforementioned connotation of dragons being evil and battling.
China, instead, has opted to use the panda as a symbol for its nation, an animal with a far-friendlier reputation.
There is not necessarily, however, the same lore attached to pandas as to dragons.
Dragons are used for decorative purposes all over both Asian and American cultures.
However, there are again times when the use of the dragon is misunderstood by Westerners, and used in a way that is offensive to the Chinese.
Manipulating or vandalizing dragons, for the purposes of a marketing campaign, such as Nike did in a 2004 television ad , is seen as highly disrespectful.
For a culture that sees dragons as being powerful and even worthy of calling on when rain is needed, such disrespect of dragons caused uproar.
The Nike ads were not meant to be offensive by the Western ad agency that developed them, but was a gross misunderstanding and lesson for Westerners: know your audience.
In the era of the World Wide Web and global media, it is fascinating to see how the world is becoming a giant melting-pot.
The idea of a melting-pot culture is nothing new to Americans, but needs to be approached with caution and respect.
In our effort to get to know and understand different cultures and ethnicities, we must first educate ourselves.
Do not make assumptions, but do keep an open heart and mind, and a spirit of curiosity about your "neighbors" across the hemisphere.
There is such an intertwining of true events, legends, folklore, and customs that it can be difficult to establish fact from fiction.
For many Chinese people, however, what Western culture sees as superstition, old wives' tales, and belief in the supernatural, is very real and deserving of proper attention.
If you've ever read a book by Amy Tan, for example, you'll know just how seriously Chinese mythology is taken by her family.
Ms.
Tan is an American writer of Chinese descent, who often infuses her own life experiences into her novels and other writings.
In them, she has explored the differences between Western and Eastern cultures; struggling to find her own sense of where she uniquely fits between her American upbringing and her immigrant parents.
One particular passage from her novel "The Joy Luck Club" focused on her experience with ghosts and the beliefs of Chinese people about ghosts.
Ghosts and spirits are very real to the Chinese people, and must be paid due respect.
Similarly, Chinese mythology includes tales of the Four Dragon Kings.
These four Dragon Kings each rule a different sea and direction.
The Dragon King of the South is Ao Qin, the Dragon King of the North is Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the East is Ao Guang, and the Dragon King of the West is Ao Run.
It is said that these Kings are in their truest form when they appear as dragons, but can transform into humans, as well.
Their opulent crystal palaces are guarded by shrimp and crabs-an army of aquatic life.
Parallel to controlling the seas, the Dragon Kings control rain and clouds.
When rain is needed, it is believed that calling upon the Dragon Kings can bring what the people and land need.
Unfortunately, if a Dragon King is upset with you, he can bring enough rain to flood the land and take lives.
Chinese dragons tend to be seen with five claws, while dragons from other nations are represented by different numbers of claws.
The character of dragons, as highlighted with the four Dragon Kings, is one of ultimate power in Chinese mythology.
Though the dragons can be vengeful when they deem necessary, they are generally regarded as just.
It is an interesting mix of perspective when you note the influence Eastern culture has on Western trends.
For many years now, we have seen an increase in Asian influences in interior décor ranging from rugs to bedding to kitchen ware.
The contrast of how dragons are interpreted-good by the Chinese, evil by Europeans-shows how easily misunderstandings between nations can occur.
Another example of American interpretation can be found in many U.
S.
cities: Chinese buffet restaurants.
Chinese food has long been a favorite of many Westerners, though sometimes the emphasis on cooking with fresh ingredients is lost in an effort to quickly serve Americans vast quantities of food, such as at a buffet.
Another tradition that has taken on variations in all parts of the world involves tea.
As the national drink of China, hot tea is becoming increasingly popular with Americans.
The four main types of tea include: black, white, green, and oolong.
Oolong is said to be the smoothest of the four types, with a slightly fruit-infused flavor that appeals to drinkers of all ages.
Preparing oolong or "black dragon" tea is a traditional process, involving fermenting the tea leaves to a certain point before (semi-fermentation) before then drying the leaves, in preparation for them to be used in a tea drink.
Traditional brewing of oolong tea involves "waking" these black dragon leaves with nearly-boiling water before pouring off the liquid and adding a second batch of hot water.
Make sure you carefully follow brewing instructions when preparing high quality tea.
While Western civilization has sometimes used dragons to symbolize the nation of China, it is an image that China itself rarely uses.
Partly this is because of the aforementioned connotation of dragons being evil and battling.
China, instead, has opted to use the panda as a symbol for its nation, an animal with a far-friendlier reputation.
There is not necessarily, however, the same lore attached to pandas as to dragons.
Dragons are used for decorative purposes all over both Asian and American cultures.
However, there are again times when the use of the dragon is misunderstood by Westerners, and used in a way that is offensive to the Chinese.
Manipulating or vandalizing dragons, for the purposes of a marketing campaign, such as Nike did in a 2004 television ad , is seen as highly disrespectful.
For a culture that sees dragons as being powerful and even worthy of calling on when rain is needed, such disrespect of dragons caused uproar.
The Nike ads were not meant to be offensive by the Western ad agency that developed them, but was a gross misunderstanding and lesson for Westerners: know your audience.
In the era of the World Wide Web and global media, it is fascinating to see how the world is becoming a giant melting-pot.
The idea of a melting-pot culture is nothing new to Americans, but needs to be approached with caution and respect.
In our effort to get to know and understand different cultures and ethnicities, we must first educate ourselves.
Do not make assumptions, but do keep an open heart and mind, and a spirit of curiosity about your "neighbors" across the hemisphere.