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Ren Yi (1840-1896), also known as Ren Bonian, was a Chinese painter born in Zhejiang during the Qing Dynasty era. He moved to Shanghai in 1855 after the death of his father, which exposed him to Western thinking within a more urban environment. He became a member of the Shanghai School, fusing popular and traditional styles. He is sometimes referred to as one of the 'Four Rens'.
Pangu is a deity and mythical being in Chinese mythology. He is often depicted as a primitive and hairy giant with a horned head and covered in furs. In some versions, he is the first living being in the universe, and created everything from the formless chaos that predated existence. Within this chaos, a cosmic egg coalesced for about 18,000 years, with the opposed principles of Yin and Yang perfectly balanced within.<br/><br/> Pangu emerged from the egg, and began creating the world by cutting Yin and Yang with his giant axe, with the clear Yang becoming the sky while the earth was formed from the murky Yin. He stood between them and pushed up the sky to keep them separated for 18,000 years, until he eventually died. His breath became the wind and clouds; his voice became the thunder; his left eye the sun while his right eye became the moon; his head turned into the mountains and extremes of the world; his blood turned into rivers; his muscles became fertile land; his facial hair turned into the stars and Milky Way; his fur became the forests; his bones and marrow became the minerals and diamonds of the world; and the flea in his fur became the wild animals of the world.<br/><br/> Pangu is still worshipped at some shrines in contemporary China, usually alongside Taoist symbols. His most important shrine is perhaps the Pangu King Temple in Guangdong Province.
In Chinese mythology and folklore, the dragon is one of the most sacred and legendary of creatures. They can take on many forms, resembling turtles, fish, horses and other imaginary cratures, but the most common depiction is of a snake-like creature with for arms and a fish-like tail.<br/><br/> In Chinese mythology, unlike in Western mythology, the dragon is usually seen as an auspicious and benevolent sign, with their control over water, rain, floods and the seas resulting in the farmlands worshipping them and relying on their aid and help. Dragons are also symbols of power, strength and good luck for those who are worthy of it, and thus the Chinese dragon is often used as a symbol of imperial power and divinty by the Chinese emperors.