Dragon - Chinese Summerhouse, Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedfordshire, UK - Epic Beings and Creatures on Waymarking.com

Known as the Chinese Summerhouse it is quite apt to have a dragon on top representing the Orient. This garden house was originally built in 1760 for the Marchioness Grey and was then repaired in 1769 by Edward Stevens.

Later in 1876 it was probably rebuilt again for Lady Cowper, being restored in the 20th century. The Chinese Summerhouse is a wooden construction standing on a stone plnth. It has an attractive, hipped roof with the dragon displayed on top. All but the western side are open and there is attractive decoration present.

The Dragon is described on Wikipedia: visit link

'Dragons are legendary creatures, typically with serpentine or otherwise reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures.

The two most familiar interpretations of dragons are European dragons, derived from various European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the unrelated Chinese dragon. The English word "dragon" derives from Greek, "dragon, serpent of huge size, water-snake", which probably comes from the verb "to see clearly".'

Further details on the Chinese Dragon are: visit link

'Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs. In contrast to European dragons that are considered evil, Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, and floods. In yin and yang terminology, a dragon is yang (male) and complements a yin (female) fenghuang "Chinese phoenix".

The dragon is sometimes used in the West as a national emblem of China. However, this usage within both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan as the symbol of nation is not common. Instead, it is generally used as the symbol of culture. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck.'

Time Period: Ancient Approximate Date of Epic Period: 403 BC onwards Epic Type: Mythical Exhibit Type: Figure, Statue, 3D Art

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Date Logged Log   09/25/2010 bill&ben visited it