There are several legends and stories about the animals chosen to make up the Chinese astrological system. One of these legends refers to the intention of the Jade Emperor to know the animals that inhabited the Earth. He decided that some of them should be brought before him. To facilitate the selection, the Emperor defined two criteria: they would have to be valuable animals for Man or be one of the first to arrive at the Celestial Palace on the day of the election of the animals.
The Dragon, an ambitious animal, wanted the place of the tiger as king of the animals. As there was no way to distinguish themselves, the Jade Emperor assumed the role of judge between them when they competed with each other.
When the Dragon heard this news, he was afraid that he would not be able to beat the tiger in terms of physical appearance. Despite resisting at the beginning, the Rooster trusted his friend, the centipede, who assured him of Dragon's good intentions. At that time, the Dragon had no horn. This ornament belonged to the Rooster. So, the centipede suggested that the Dragon borrow it from that animal. Dragon's
When the Dragon and the tiger appeared before the Emperor for judgment, they both looked impressive. The Emperor decided that the Dragon would be the King of Water and the Tiger the King of Earth. The Dragon received the same status since the tiger was already an animal sign. However, Dragon did not want to return the horn to the Rooster but kept it to symbolize his new status. Furious, the Rooster went after the centipede, which was hiding under the Earth.
In the Chinese Astrological system, each sign of the Zodiac is associated with one of the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The characteristics of a person's personality are influenced by various influences, including the sign and the element of the year of birth. For example, a Wood Dragon appears once in the 60-year cycle. Thus, there are five types of Dragons, each with its own characteristics: