Basic Information

Alternative spellings: Chi Wen, Ch'i-wen
Type/Species: Long
Origin: Taoist Mythology, Chinese Mythology

About Chiwen

Chiwen was one of the nine sons of the dragon. [2] When the dragon visited his children, the neighbors of his son Chiwen complained that all he did was stand atop rooftops and stare off into the distance. [3] Thus, the dragon ordered that the image of Chiwen adorn the tops of buildings as a sentinel, searching the distance for signs of danger. [4] Chiwen also loved poetry. [2]

In another version of the story, Chiwen was known for his fondness of swallowing and gulping. Thus, his image was placed on both of the ends of roofs to consume all evil influences. [1]

Sometimes the siblings Chiwen and Beixi were conflated, but they are separate sons of the dragon. [5]

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Physical Description

Chiwen was a traditional long dragon.

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Quick Facts

  • Chiwen was one of the nine sons of the dragon. [2]
  • His neighbors complained that he perched atop rooftops and stared into the distance all day. [3]
  • He loved poetry. [2]
  • He was known to swallow and to gulp, so his image was used on either end of the rooftops to consume all evil influences. [1]
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Related Articles

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Footnotes

  1. De Visser 101
  2. National Geographic [Essential] 342
  3. Young 5
  4. Young 6
  5. Bates 46

For more information on footnotes and references, please see the bibliography.

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