Ch’en Nan

Ch’en Nan : In Chinese legend, a sage who had the power to cause rain; he lived 1,350 years, mostly on dogs’ flesh. Once, passing through a village, he found people praying for rain. Detecting a dragon (maker of rain) hidden in the mud, he forced the animal to come out, which made it rain. Ch’en Nan is often portrayed in Chinese and Japanese art evoking a dragon from a gourd or bowl or sailing on a large hat, which he used once to cross a river when there was no one to ferry him. In Japanese legend, Ch’en Nan is called Chinnan.

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Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow– Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante