THE DRAGON OR THE PANDA?

摘要

A symbol of unrivalled wisdom and power,China's dragon is a long,scaly,snake-like creature with the paws of a tiger and the claws of an eagle.This chimera isan emblem of ancient imperial power.Indeed,the dynastic emperors were known as dragons.The revolutions of the 20th century made a break with the past,and the present regime does not think the dragon is a proper symbol of China.Instead,the country's rulers prefer to use the giant panda-that lovable,bamboo-eating member of the bear family-as the national emblem.By tradition a rare and noble creature,the panda has been part of diplomacy since 685 CE,when an emperor of the Tang dynasty sent a pair to his counterpart in Japan.