富港配资蛇的寿命有多长？500年的大蛇真能化蛟？“长江走蛟”是咋回事？_is_people_myths

《New Legend of White Snake》 is a story most people are familiar with, or at least have heard about. It tells of Bai Suzhen, a thousand-year-old snake spirit who transforms into a human and marries the mortal Xu Xian. This tale, rich with mysticism, is one of many snake-related myths passed down through generations.

Snake myths like these carry a deep sense of mystery and antiquity, reflecting how snakes have been revered and feared since ancient times. Even within the Chinese zodiac, the snake holds a significant position, highlighting its long-standing cultural importance in the past.

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Elders often say that a snake living for five hundred years can become a “jiao” (a mythical flood dragon), and if it lives for a thousand years, it can turn into a dragon. But is there any truth behind these legends? Do such enormous snakes really exist? Can a snake truly transform after centuries? Let’s explore these questions in detail.

In today’s modern era, shaped by scientific education and materialist philosophy, it’s widely accepted that snakes cannot live for hundreds of years—let alone a millennium. These ideas remain only as beautiful myths, serving as spiritual hopes and symbolic stories from times when people sought explanations for the unknown. But why did so many past generations firmly believe these tales?

Since ancient times, snakes have held a revered and mysterious status in people’s hearts. Their appearances were often seen as omens, either fortunate or ominous. In most myths, snakes appear as symbols of power and enigma, stirring both curiosity and fear among people.

In old folklore, it was commonly believed that snakes could grow endlessly by shedding their skin repeatedly, each molt making them larger. This idea naturally led people to imagine snakes as creatures capable of growing infinitely large.

However, from a modern perspective, shedding skin is no longer magical but simply a natural, physiological process for snakes—similar to how humans change their clothes. Snake skin is like their outer garment, which they shed regularly to allow growth.

Shedding skin is a painful and vulnerable process for snakes. Young snakes may molt four to five times a year, while adults typically shed once or twice annually. When fortunate, the shedding period is brief and the discomfort quickly passes. But if unlucky, it may last much longer and cause significant distress.

For pregnant or older snakes, the shedding phase can be especially dangerous and may even threaten their survival if something goes wrong. Ancient people, lacking scientific understanding, misinterpreted this painful process as a spiritual cultivation or a trial the snake must endure—an idea born out of ignorance rather than fact.

There are indeed giant snakes in the world. Scientific research shows that most snakes live about twenty years on average, with some reaching thirty years or more. Though this lifespan is far from the mythical centuries-long existence, it’s still notably longer than many other animals.

Such longevity is rare and mostly limited to snakes in remote habitats like dense forests, lakes, and oceans. These environments are seldom explored by humans, so sightings of large snakes remain uncommon.

In 1998, a devastating flood struck the Yangtze River basin. People often associate disasters with strange phenomena, and this event sparked a widely circulated legend known as the “1998 Yangtze Jiao Incident,” involving sightings of a giant black dragon-like creature in the river.

But did this really happen? Reports indicate that the flood was caused by excessive deforestation in the Yangtze area, leading to severe soil erosion. Continuous heavy rains in June swelled the river beyond safe levels, causing catastrophic flooding.

As for the rumored huge black creature spotted swimming in the Yangtze, it is likely a large fish native to the river. The Yangtze is home to a vast variety of aquatic species, including some rare ones. During the flood, many animals were displaced and drifted downstream, which might explain the sightings.

China has many historical accounts of “jiao” or flood dragons. For example, Zhang Jibai from Dali, in his Ming Dynasty work “Ye Yu Bai Shi,” recorded witnessing a “jiao” event. According to his account, the creature was unlucky—failing to ascend to dragonhood and instead having its body parts used by villagers for various purposes.

With the advancement of science and technology, these ancient myths have gradually been understood as products of human imagination. We now recognize that it is this imagination that has endowed snakes with their aura of mystery and power.

Darwin’s theory of evolution and the origin of species have become fundamental knowledge. In the past, limited scientific awareness and cultural beliefs led people to interpret unknown phenomena through mythical stories, which then spread widely.

Today, even young children would question such tales. As a generation raised with modern education, we should not let outdated superstitions cloud our scientific reasoning. Instead, we ought to improve our knowledge and help elders around us understand science better.

The growing awareness of environmental protection and ecological civilization has become an important part of our daily lives. The 1998 Yangtze flood reminds us of the urgent need to protect our environment by planting trees, preventing deforestation, and restoring forests.

Although snakes still inspire fear in many of us and are present within our ecosystems, this is not justification for indiscriminate hunting or cruelty. Snakes are vulnerable, innocent creatures of nature. While we fear them, they may be equally wary of us. Respect and coexistence should be our guiding principles.

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