Yangzhou - Wudang Palace - bell - pulao - P1070199

Pulao (), known in some early sources also as tulao (), and Pu Lao, is a

Chinese dragon The Chinese dragon or loong is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and Chinese culture generally. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms, such as Bixi (mythology), turtles and Chiwen, fish, but are most commonly ...

, and one of the nine sons of the dragon. It is said in

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...

that he likes to "roar", and therefore he is traditionally depicted on top of bells in China, and used as the hook by which the bells are hung. ''Pulao'' appeared in Chinese literature already during the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

. The

scholar Li Shan (, 630–689), in his comments on

Ban Gu Ban Gu (AD32–92) was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician best known for his part in compiling the ''Book of Han'', the second of China's 24 dynastic histories. He also wrote a number of '' fu'', a major literary form, part prose ...

's (32–92 AD) "Eastern Metropolis Rhapsody" (, ''Dong Du Fu''), wrote:

In the sea there is a big fish called whale, and on the shore there is a creature whose name is ''pulao''. The ''pulao'' has always been afraid of the whale. Whenever the whale strikes 'or'' attackshim, ''pulao'' cries 'or'' roarsloudly. Thus those who want to make a loud ellwould put a ''pulao'' on top. Therefore the bell-striker would be made n the shape ofa whale.

During the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, the ''pulao'' (in the form ''tulao'') appeared in the influential list of fantastic creatures appearing in architecture and applied art, which was compiled by Lu Rong (1436-1494) in his ''Miscellaneous records from the bean garden'' (, ''Shuyuan zaji'').

The ''tulaos form is like that of a dragon, but small. By its nature it likes to roar, and has supernatural strength. heyused to hang bells y the ''tulao''

Later on, the ''pulao'', with similar descriptions, was integrated into various lists of the Nine Children of the Dragon compiled by later

authors such as Li Dongyang and Yang Shen. Yang Jingrong and Liu Zhixiong (2008)

Notes

References

* {{cite book , publisher={{lang, zh, 中国书店 , year=2008 , isbn=7-80663-551-3 , url=http://vip.book.sina.com.cn/book/catalog.php?book=69989 , author1={{lang, zh-hant, 杨静荣 (Yang Jirong), author2= {{lang, zh, 刘志雄 (Liu Zhixiong), script-title=zh:龙之源 , trans-title=The Origin of the Dragon) , ref=yang2008 , script-chapter=zh:龙的繁衍与附会——龙生九子 , trans-chapter=Dragon's derived and associated creatures: The nine children of the dragon
Section 1
. Chinese dragons Bells (percussion)