The First Dragon of China

The First Dragon of China

The shell-mosaic dragon pattern unearthed in 1987 at the Xishuipo site in Puyang, dating back approximately 6,400 years, caused a sensation in the archaeological circles both at home and abroad and was hailed as the “First Dragon of China.” Puyang thereby gained the title of the “Hometown of the Dragon in China.”

In 1987, the “First Dragon of China” was discovered at the Yangshao cultural site located at Xishuipo in Puyang County. On either side of the skeleton of a middle-aged male in the central part of a tomb chamber, there were exquisitely arranged dragon and tiger patterns made from clam shells. The dragon pattern is 1.78 meters in length and 0.67 meters in height, with its head raised, body arched, and long tail extended. Its front claws are scraping forward and its hind claws are kicking back, giving the appearance of soaring through the air.

The tiger pattern is 1.39 meters in length and 0.63 meters in height. The tiger's head is slightly lowered, its round eyes wide open, its mouth open and teeth bared, while its tail sways downward and its limbs move alternately, resembling a descending tiger. The dragon and tiger patterns meticulously arranged with clam shells on either side of the tomb owner were authenticated by archaeologists as the “First Dragon of China.”