Shenlong, also known as the Spiritual Dragon, is one of the most popular and revered dragons in Chinese mythology. It is believed to be a powerful and benevolent force that controls the wind and ...

But some Chinese state media have been calling it the year of the loong in their English reports. Loong (pronounced like the English word “long”) sounds like the Mandarin term for dragon.

The Chinese dragon years over the last century were 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 and 2024. The next Year of the Dragon won’t come again until 2036.

Australian police are seeking two people for allegedly vandalizing a century-old Chinese parade dragon and other valuable artefacts at a museum in a small town known for its historic links to China.