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, also known as ''loong'', ''long'' or ''lung'', is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and Chinese culture at large. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are most ...

, and one of the

9 sons of the dragon The nine sons of the dragon are Chinese dragons who are the mythological sons of the Dragon King. There are many variations in the different descriptions of the nine sons, including in basic facts like their names, but all versions state that the ...

. It is said in

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of t ...

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, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

. The

scholar Li Shan (, 630－689), in his comments on Ban Gu'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 imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

, 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 Lu Rong (; 1436–1494) was a Chinese scholar. He is also known under the courtesy name Wenliang (文量) and the pseudonym Shizhai (式斋). He earned his ''jinshi ''Jinshi'' () was the highest and final degree in the imperial examin ...

(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.
hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
used 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 Li Dongyang (, 1447–1516) was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician during the Ming dynasty. Born in Beijing, Li began writing since 4 years old. He was invited by the Jingtai Emperor to the court for testing and requested his presence t ...

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)