The dragon was originally the object of worship of Chinese ancestors, but with the deepening of autocracy and the increasing expansion of monarchical power, the emperor's house took the dragon as its own by virtue of its political advantages.
after the dragon was deified, it was combined with the worship of emperors. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the dragon pattern was officially regarded as the crest of the Emperor and a symbol of power. At this time, the Emperor of Shang and Zhou Dynasties hung nine dragon flags and wore dragons to sacrifice to the first king. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the great reunification of China required a corresponding great god to integrate the beliefs of all localities and nationalities, and dragon worship was further combined with emperor worship.
The ancient emperors in China described themselves as the incarnation or son of the dragon god, or as people protected by the dragon god, and established their prestige with the help of the dragon, gaining people's universal trust and support. In this way, the dragon gained a more prominent position and played a very important role in the development of loong culture.
in the spring and autumn annals of Lushi, it is recorded that Jin Wengong was called a dragon. Later, Qin Shihuang called it "Zulong". After the Qin and Han dynasties, the dragon has been shaped as the incarnation of the emperor and patented by the royal family. The emperor was the "real dragon emperor", born as "the real dragon descended from heaven" and died as "the dragon royal guest"; The people who live in the dragon pavilion, the people who lie in the dragon bed, the people who sit in the dragon chair and the people who wear the dragon robe.
Extended information
Origin of the True Dragon Emperor:
Explanation: In ancient times, the emperor was regarded as the son of heaven and the incarnation of dragon, so it was called the True Dragon Emperor.
It's from Jing Luo written by Li Shangyin in the Tang Dynasty: "It's a pity that you became Du Yu. Maybe the real dragon was the first owner." (referring to Liu Bei)
It's a pity that the monarch of Shu will inevitably turn into a cuckoo. How can Liu Bei, the ancestor of Shu Han, become the only thrill?
reference source
Baidu Encyclopedia-Dragon