The Candle Dragon 烛龙

Why there exists the routine of the four seasons? Why does days alternate with nights? This it all because there lives a powerful dragon named Candle Dragon.

It was said that, to the north of the Chishui River beyond the distant Northwest Sea, there was a strange mountain named Zhangwei Mountain, in which lived a magical god of mountain who wore a human face, yet with a curving snakelike body of more than 1000 li.The whole body of the mountain god was thoroughly red like a fiery dragon. His eyes were also quite different from ordinary people, like two olives vertically hung on the face, which turned into two straight slits when he closed them.

The mountain god was so mighty that when he closed his eyes, night befell the earth and when he opened them, the world turned into daytime. He winked and winked, and days and nights occurred alternately.

The mountain god never slept and he always curled up there without eating, drinking or breathing. once he breathed, there would appear the fierce wind and torrential rain; once he blew, there would be winter in a second with the sky filled with black clouds and heavy snow storms; once he sniffed, there would be midsummer in no time with scorching sun that could even melt the stones.

The red and long body of the mountain god could shine divinely, and even the dark and deep underground was brightened. He often held in mouth a candle lightening the dark gate of heaven in the north, thus he was called "Candle Dragon" or "Candle Yin".