Fantastic dragon palaces and powerful dragons surrounded by thunder and lightning:
these have been the traditional images of dragons among the Chinese people who believed
that the Dragon Kings controlled the waters of lakes and rivers and could create
floods or droughts. For thousands of years Chinese people have formed myths about
dragons and have given these imaginary creatures god-like powers of glamour and
strength. In this book, however, we see that even the wise and courteous Dragon Kings
can sometimes be foolish and bad-tempered, which is a reflection of the good and bad
qualities of human nature.
Although he has to face these mighty dragons, the hero Liu Yi behaves bravely and
properly to deliver the letter of the lost Princess to her Dragon King father. Liu Yi shows
the traditional Chinese values of loyalty and faithfulness to keep promises, especially
when these are given to ladies. This can be compared to stories of medieval Chivalry in
the West where knights were honour bound to rescue beautiful ladies in great trouble.