"Dragon Lady" in Chinese Culture
Whereas "Dragon lady" is a stereotype in Western culture, it is not in Eastern culture. For one thing, Western dragons are fire-breathing. Eastern dragons mostly live in water and their job is to bring rain. The term sometimes has a positive connotation in Chinese.
Longnü (龍女, dragon girl) is a disciple of the bodhisattva Guanyin in folklore. In The Return of the Condor Heroes, Xiaolongnü (Little Dragon Maiden) is the female main character.
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