ANN/THE CHINA DAILY – As the Spring Festival draws near, malls and commercial brands all over Shanghai, China have erected art installations to celebrate the coming Year of the Dragon.
The dragon is the only mythical being among the 12 phantoms of the Chinese zodiac, appearing as a chimera made up of nine real animal characteristics: antlers of deer, head of camel, eyes of rabbit, neck of snake, belly of shellfish, scales of fish, claws of eagle, paws of tiger, ears of ox.
The dragon is hailed as one of the most iconic and revered Chinese symbols, and is associated with such qualities as power, royalty, wisdom, luck, fortune, prosperity and success.
It’s so deeply ingrained in tradition that it’s heralded as a totem of the country’s national identity and cultural heritage, and Chinese often refer to themselves as “descendants of the dragon”.
“These installations embody Shanghai’s blessings for people born in the Year of the Dragon,” 34-year-old office worker Xu Fei said, while visiting a dragon-themed display in Raffles City in Changning district.
University student Yu Xin, 21, points out while admiring installations during a walk that some of his friends’ names include long, the mandarin word for dragon.
Here are some locations in Shanghai hosting installations.
TAIKOO LI QIANTAN
Luxury brand Louis Vuitton presents a giant dragon installation at its Taikoo Li Qiantan store that combines the brand’s classic checkerboard grid, four-leaf flower and traditional Chinese elements.
HUIJIN DEPARTMENT STORE
This dragon sculpture is jointly presented by Huijin Department Store and the Dunhuang Museum.
The image comes from the ancient murals in the world-famous grottoes of Dunhuang in northwestern China’s Gansu province. It represents sanctity, majesty, good fortune and protection.
RAFFLES CITY CHANGNING
This installation creatively combines traditional folklore and modern art to depict a giant roaring dragon that lights up at night.
HKRI TAIKOO HUI
In tribute to American Neo-Expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who pioneered the acceptance of graffiti, HKRI Taikoo Hui is presenting the large-scale art installation, The Crowned Dinosaur.
It depicts a 15-metre-high dinosaur named Pez, surrounded by scaffolding to celebrate the theme of fearlessness. The Chinese characters for “dinosaur” include the character for “dragon”.
PHILIPS HEALTHY LIVING LAB
Philips Health Living Lab chose red as the principal hue for the sculpture, and the installation occupies the entire height of two floors. It depicts a dragon sliding into the building through the outside wall. Its body is covered with written Lunar New Year blessings.
‘XIXINGLE ZARA’ FLASH MOB SPACE
Fashion brand Zara and Chinese home decoration brand Xixingle are presenting a pink dragon on Anfu Road. It incorporates classic Chinese motifs, such as dragons and peaches, to interpret Eastern aesthetics in a modern and stylish way.
