Throwing the dragon: an imperial ritual that symbolized eternal sovereignty

The Zhejiang West Lake Gallery is hosting China's first toulong (投龍) exhibition in tandem with Peking University, China Academy of Art, and Tsinghua University through March 2. About 230 antiquities from 40 museums and archeological organizations are providing visitors with a well-rounded picture of toulong.

Throughout dynasties, toulong, which means "throwing the dragon" in Chinese, has been an imperial ritual. During the Shang (c. 16th century-11th century BC) and Zhou (c. 11th century-770 BC) dynasties, the rulers started to worship mountains, lakes and rivers, since they symbolized eternal sovereignty. The ritual developed in the Southern and Northern Dynasties (AD 420-589) when Daoism was prevalent across the country. The imperial courts integrated Taoist etiquette into the ritual and established the toulong rite.

In Daoism, the dragon is believed to be the messenger of heaven. Emperors cast gold dragon sculptures into the mountains, lakes and rivers, as well as caves to link themselves to heaven. At times, they would also throw tablets and jade articles engraved with prayers and other ritual objects.

Archeologists have discovered toulong-related relics from various eras across the country, with the Wuyue Kingdom (AD 907-978) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279) considered the zenith of the rite. Therefore, the highlights of the exhibition mainly come from the two eras.

The gold dragon figurine, weighing 78 grams and measuring 11 centimeters in length, captivates visitors immediately. During the 1950s, the local government excavated sludge from West Lake to enhance water quality, uncovering thousands of Song Dynasty artifacts that had remained hidden for centuries.

Discovered objects included old and silver dragons, copper mirrors, coins, as well as porcelains. These ceremonial items testified to the importance of the West Lake in the toulong ritual.

According to archives, the imperial courts selected particular mountains, lakes and rivers as the paramount toulong sites. In Zhejiang, the present-day Qiantang River and the West Lake in Hangzhou City, Siming Mountain in Ningbo City, Yandang Mountain in Wenzhou City, and Kuocang Mountain in Taizhou City were the sites frequented by emperors and royal court officials.

The Wuyue Kingdom, which reigned during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (AD 907-979), once covered present-day Zhejiang Province, Shanghai, southeastern Jiangsu Province and northeastern Fujian Province.

Qian Liu (AD 852-932), the first king of the Wuyue Kingdom, kept the territory peaceful at a time when much of China was in turmoil. While the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) established its imperial power in northern China, the Wuyue Kingdom thrived in southern China. Usually such powers would wage war against one another. However, the Wuyue Kingdom peacefully paid allegiance to the Northern Song Dynasty, as Qian didn't want people to die needlessly.

His policies heralded a new chapter for the region's prosperity. Qian and his successors hosted the most toulong rites in history. According to the engraved tablets on view, the Qian family prayed for a peaceful life and prosperity in the kingdom, which in return reflected their policies.

Wuyue Kingdom built a hydraulic infrastructure along the Qiantang River and encouraged the development of local farming. They helped people cope with roaring waves on the Qiantang River and eventually built their own "Great Wall" between the river and city. In history, the Qians also cast dragons into the river to calm the tidal bores and pray for eternal peace.

Emperors not only used gold dragons and engraved tablets in their rites but also threw jade articles. At the exhibition, people could see the yubi (flat jade discs with a circular hole in the center) unearthed from Zhao Boyun's tomb in Huangyan County.

Zhao Boyun was the seventh generation descendant of Zhao Kuangyin, founder of the Northern Song Dynasty. However, the yubi didn't belong to the Zhao family. The Chinese characters on the surface indicate that the Nantang Kingdom used the yubi in the toulong rite during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Historians presumed that the Zhao family got the yubi from somewhere and then buried it as a funeral object.

If you go

Date: Through March 2 (closed on Mondays)

Address: 25 Gushan Rd

Admission: Free

孤山路25號(hào)