The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a celestial creature, water and weather god in Asian mythology. They can be found in various cultural and religious symbolic materials all around Asia, specifically in South, Southeast Asia and distinctly in East Asian cultures (Chinese folk-religion). He is known in many different names across Asia depending on the local language such as, Ryūō in Japanese. (Korean Dragon, Indian Dragon, Vietnamese Dragon and more)

He can manipulate and control the weather, move seasons and bring rainfall with his divine power at his own will, thus, he is regarded as the dispenser of rain, divine ruler of the Seas, rivers and water bodies, commanding over all bodies of water. He is the collective personification of the ancient concept of the lóng in Chinese culture and Nāgarāja in Indian culture. It is described that they have their own under-water palace and a royal court system of their own.

There are also the cosmological "Dragon Kings of the Four Seas" (四海龍王; Sihai Longwang).

Besides being a water deity, the Dragon God frequently also serves as a territorial tutelary deity, similarly to Tudigong "Lord of the Earth" and Houtu "Queen of the Earth".

Origins

Serpent like creatures have been regarded as core part of Asian culture since 7000–5000 BCE (Neolithic period) at least. Numerous Serpent like crafts, marks and designs have been discovered in many archeological sites from south, southeast and east asia (Notably from ancient archeological sites of China and India), which proves that the serpent/naga/dragon symbolically has been part of the local folklores, rituals and festivals in these areas from a really long time. As time has passed the Dragon culture has been adapted and shifted in various forms, terms, tales and cultures through generation around these regions and the folk-religious cultures.

The Dragon King has been regarded as holding dominion over all bodies of water, and the dispenser of rain, in rituals practiced into the modern era in China. One of his epithets is Dragon King of Wells and Springs.

Dragon processions have been held on the fifth and sixth moon of the lunisolar calendar all over China, especially on the 13th day of the sixth moon, held to be the Dragon King's birthday, as ritualized supplication to the deity to make rain. In Changli County, Hebei Province a procession of sorts carried an image of the Dragon King in a basket and made circuit around nearby villages, and the participants would put out in front of their house a piece of yellow paper calligraphed with the text: "The position [=tablet] of the Dragon King of the Four Seas 四海龍王之位, Five Lakes, Eight Rivers and Nine Streams", sprinkle it with water using willow withes, and burning incense next to it. This ritual was practiced in North of China into the 20th century.