In East Asian culture, there is sometimes a fifth Guardian Beast of the Si Xiang. This deity is the guardian of the center and it represents the element earth, the Chinese quintessence, as well as the changing of the seasons.
Huang Long does not appear in Japanese mythology: the fifth element in the Japanese elemental system is Void, so there cannot be an animal representing it. Because of this, Huang Long is often forgotten. However, some consider the Ouryu (Ōryū, yellow dragon) as the Japanese counterpart of Huang Long since they share some similarities.
At the end of his reign, the first legendary Emperor Huang Di was said to have been immortalized into a dragon that resembled his emblem, and ascended to Heaven. Since the Chinese consider Huang Di as their ancestor, they sometimes refer to themselves as "the descendants of the dragon". This legend also contributed towards the use of the Chinese dragon as a symbol of imperial power.
