According to Guo Ming, research librarian at the Liaoning Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, dragon totems began to be presented on jade during the Hongshan culture period.

Hongshan culture, a key Neolithic culture dating from 6,500 to 5,000 years ago, spanned what is today's Liaoning and Hebei provinces and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Highlighting Hongshan's cultural connections beyond China, Guo Dashun, honorary director of the Liaoning Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, noted that Hongshan's painted ...

Highlighting Hongshan's cultural connections beyond China, Guo Dashun, honorary director of the Liaoning Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, noted that Hongshan's painted ...

In Guo's observation, there seems to be a tendency in Hongshan tombs that important artifacts were placed on the right side of the tomb owners, with the most important ones put beside the head.

Guo said the jade dragons unearthed in the region showed the dragon worshipped by Chinese people was a combination of several animals, with its original shape coming from pig, deer, bear and bird.