Dragon turtle(龍龜)

A dragon turtle (Chinese: 龍龜; pinyin: Lóngguī) is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology that merges the qualities of two of the Four Celestial Animals: the dragon and the turtle. With the body of a dragon and the shell of a turtle, it is a revered figure in Feng Shui, symbolizing courage, determination, fertility, longevity, strength, success, and protection. Statues and carvings of dragon turtles are often placed facing windows or doorways to attract positive energy and shield against harm.

In old maps, especially those illustrating unknown or unexplored regions, dragon turtles sometimes appeared alongside other mythical creatures, representing the mystery and danger of distant lands.

According to traditional descriptions, the dragon turtle lays around one hundred eggs, each roughly the size of a chicken egg. It grows slowly, taking many years to reach full maturity. Because of its enormous size and weight, it is not suited to chasing prey. Instead, it uses an ambush method, much like a snapping turtle. However, unlike a snapping turtle that feeds on fish, the dragon turtle is said to prey on much larger animals such as horses, seals, and even whales.

Some accounts describe the dragon turtle as reaching lengths of up to 100 feet (approximately 30 meters), making it one of the largest creatures in the mythological bestiary.

A well-known legend ties the dragon turtle to Fuxi, one of China's legendary sage-kings. As the story goes, Fuxi discovered a sacred "square diagram" on the back of a dragon turtle. This diagram, often identified with the Luoshu, was believed to hold cosmic patterns and divine knowledge, and it played an essential role in the development of early Chinese systems of divination and cosmology. In this way, the dragon turtle was not only a powerful and awe-inspiring beast but also a bearer of heavenly wisdom.