Quick Answer
The Four Dragon Kings (四海龙王, Sìhǎi Lóngwáng) are rulers of the four directional seas in Chinese literature and religion. In chapter 3 of Journey to the West (西游记, Xīyóu Jì), Ao Guang (敖广, Áo Guǎng) rules the East, Ao Qin (敖钦, Áo Qīn) the South, Ao Run (敖闰, Áo Rùn) the West and Ao Shun (敖顺, Áo Shùn) the North. Those personal names belong to a particular literary account. A temple or painting may identify a sea deity in another way.[1][2][3][4]
- The four seas: East, south, west and north organize the group by jurisdiction.[1]
- The brothers: In the novel, the East Sea ruler summons the others when the Monkey King demands more equipment.[1]
- The titles: Guangzhou’s Temple of the South Sea God (南海神庙, Nánhǎi Shénmiào) preserves an imperial title that predates the novel.[3][4]
The directional seas in the story name realms of rule. They provide no exact coordinates for plotting the brothers on a modern ocean map.[1]
The novel brings the four rulers together when an unwelcome guest refuses to leave. A Tang inscription in Guangzhou names a sea god through an official title. Reading them side by side helps explain why two sources can both describe a ruler of the South Sea and still use different names.[1][3][4]
How the Novel Introduces the Four Brothers
Sun Wukong (孙悟空, Sūn Wùkōng) visits the East Sea ruler’s palace first. After obtaining his staff, he asks for equipment to wear. Ao Guang calls the other three rulers by sounding a drum and a bell. Each supplies one piece in the episode. Ao Qin provides a phoenix-winged crown, Ao Run a coat of golden mail, and Ao Shun shoes for walking on clouds.[1]
The gifts help track who is who, but the conversation also explains the kings’ authority. The brothers deliberate together and plan to take their complaint to Heaven. The formal petition puts the brother kings within a larger celestial administration.[1]
Why a Dragon King Can Have More Than One Name
In chapter 12 of Investiture of the Gods (封神演义, Fēngshén Yǎnyì), the East Sea Dragon King who confronts Nezha (哪吒, Nézhā) is called Ao Guang with a different final character, 光 (Guāng) instead of 广 (Guǎng). The shared unaccented spelling in English can hide the difference in Chinese. The novel, edition and episode are useful when checking the name of an individual king.[1][2]
Guangzhou’s Temple of the South Sea God shows a different naming convention. An inscription by Han Yu (韩愈, Hán Yù), dated to 820, records the South Sea deity’s title King Guangli (广利王, Guǎnglì Wáng). The inscription records the Tang court’s recognition of the deity worshipped at the temple. The title and the literary name Ao Qin belong to different kinds of evidence about sea deities.[3][4]
What a Dragon King Looks Like Outside the Novel
In a hanging scroll at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, the catalog identifies a Dragon King standing among waves in embroidered red robes and holding an incense burner. Five Buddhist holy figures appear above him. The painter places the sea ruler below Buddhist figures called luohan (罗汉, luóhàn). The museum catalog identifies him by his role in that scene without giving him one of the four novel names.[5]
Temple records bring another context into view. Historical studies of the Guangzhou site connect official sacrifices to maritime travel and trade. The inscription, temple and Buddhist painting show different settings in which the figure of a sea ruler made sense. They also explain why the <a href=”https://www.chinaculturepro.com/dragon-king-chinese-mythology/”>wider Dragon King tradition</a> extends beyond the named family in the novel.[3][4][5]
FAQs About the Four Dragon Kings
Who rules each sea in Journey to the West?
Ao Guang rules the East Sea, Ao Qin the South Sea, Ao Run the West Sea and Ao Shun the North Sea. That is the assignment in chapter 3.[1]
Does every Dragon King belong to the Four Seas group?
Dragon King is a broader title. A painting may depict one Dragon King in another story without identifying him as one of the four named rulers in the novel.[1][5]
Is the South Sea god at Guangzhou’s temple called Ao Qin?
The historical inscription discussed here honors the South Sea deity by the title King Guangli. Ao Qin is the name used for the South Sea brother in Journey to the West.[1][3][4]
Sources
[1] Journey to the West. Chapter 3, Chinese text
[2] Investiture of the Gods. Chapter 12, Chinese text
[3] Han Yu. Inscription for the Temple of the South Sea God
[4] Guangdong Literature and History. Study of the South Sea God’s temple and its inscriptions
[5] Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. Five luohan with attendants crossing the ocean