In celebration of the Year of the Blue Dragon in 2024, the National Museum of Korea is introducing fifteen items from in its permanent exhibition halls related to dragons. Dragons are the only imaginary creature among the twelve zodiac animals. They were believed to have the head of a camel, antlers of a deer, eyes of a rabbit, ears of an ox, neck of a snake, belly of a frog, scales of a carp, claws of a falcon, and paws of a tiger. Considered powerful creatures, dragons have been viewed as an emblem of sovereignty by royalty, a protector of the Buddhist law or nation in Buddhism, and a sacred animal that controls water, repels disasters and brought the five blessings in folk culture. We encourage you encounter diverse manifestations of dragons through these fifteen objects as you explore the interesting stories to be found within them.