Dragons (Chinese: long) are a potent and prominent symbol in Chinese culture. The origin of the dragon image is unknown because it is so ancient. However, it is not unreasonable to assume that some of the massive fossilized bones encountered in several parts of China, including dinosaur and mammoth bones, were thought by ancient people to be those of huge dragons.
Image sourced from ITM Online. Available at: http://www.itmonline.org/image/dragon4.jpg