The Chinese dragon is a unique composite creature in Chinese art and culture – a symbol strongly associated with supernatural transformation, political authority, and divine will. Traditionally linked with water, rainfall, clouds and thunder since Neolithic times, early folkloric, Buddhist, Daoist and Confucian associations with the dragon further contributed to the creature’s auspicious interpretation and visualization. Featuring examples from museum collections and from the Dunhuang Cave Shrines, this talk will illuminate the unique role and representation of the Chinese dragon and dragon king in Chinese art, as well as explore the transformation of its painted image.