Dragon is a magical animal in ancient legends of China, so it can be said to be a representative figure, often with great ability or power. As for the dragon crossing the river, it is even worse, and it is often a shock to the place.
Historical origin
Paleontologists have always believed that long-horned dragon is a fictional image of ancient ancestors, which only exists in myths and legends. 1987, "China Yilong" was discovered at Yangshao Cultural Site in Shui Bo, western Puyang County, Henan Province. The dragon pattern of mussels unearthed this time is the earliest dragon pattern found in China so far, about 6600 years ago.
As a totem, the dragon is different from the general totem. It is not a single animal, but a collection of many animals, which highlights the great national spirit and thought of the Chinese nation. The earliest gods in ancient mythology were not people, but animals-totems. Primitive people can't distinguish the boundaries between human beings and animals, and think that an animal is its own ancestor and protector. This is a totem.
Totem, as the ancestor and symbol of clan and tribe, is generally a single animal. When a clan and tribe have a merger war, the victors often destroy their totems after capturing each other, and the newly generated tribe still has a single totem.