After nearly a year of compilation, correction and editing, my book Flying Dragon in the Sky: Three Changes in the Image of Dragon Patterns in the History of Chinese Bronze Mirrors (hereinafter referred to as Flying Dragon in the Sky) was finally published at the end of the the Year of the Loong. Looking back at the writing process, I still feel a mixture of five flavors, many of which are in my heart. In January 2024, when the planning editor Pan Fei contacted me, I only had one courseware on hand for the online training course of Guobo, titled 'Flying Dragon in the Sky: Three Transformations of Dragon Pattern Images in the History of Chinese Bronze Mirrors'. When I decided to write a Dragon Mirror book based on this, I gathered the relevant bronze mirror courses and lecture texts I had accumulated in the past, as well as some related articles and articles I had written. After nearly half a year of integration and polishing, I finally completed the writing task. The positioning of the book "Flying Dragon in the Sky" is a popular academic reading material, mainly focusing on dragon patterned mirrors while also considering other related content. It can be summarized into the following three characteristics: firstly, it has its own system. The book is divided into three volumes, totaling 250000 words, and is accompanied by over 400 color and black and white images. According to the Book of Changes, Qian Gua, I have divided this book into three volumes: Flying Dragon, Leaping Dragon, and Seeing Dragon, thus forming the overall framework of the book. Secondly, the design is aesthetically pleasing. This book has a nearly square format, which is consistent with the format of my previous publications "Jian Ruo Chang River" and "Wang Chang'an" at Sanlian Bookstore, to facilitate readers' collection. The cover design is simple and magnificent, highlighting the majestic momentum and metallic texture of the coiled dragon on the Tang Dynasty mirror, filled with the tension of life and strong visual impact. The cover, back cover, and front and back cuffs are integrated and separated from the spine of the book. After slowly unfolding, what caught the eye was like a magnificent scroll of the "Five Dragons" painting, with a grand and unique momentum. Three chapters have been designed for each of the three volumes of the book. The left page features a partial rubbings of dragon patterned mirrors with different postures, while the right page features a specially carved Yangwen seal script for the book and a auspicious cloud pattern selected from the Tang Dynasty mirror. The combination of vigorous simplicity and elegant beauty complements each other, creating a seamless whole. Thirdly, reading is enjoyable. A book in hand, comfortable to touch, soft paper color. The book features numerous masterpieces and exquisite images, fully showcasing the intricate beauty of the bronze mirror decoration. The high-definition images are pleasing to the eye, and the overall and partial aspects of the cultural relic images coexist, with readability, academic value, and artistic value vividly displayed on paper. I have been engaged in archaeological research on cultural relics for 36 years, including 16 years as an archaeological team member, struggling on excavation sites. Entering the highest historical and cultural hall of the National Museum from the vast field excavation site has laid a solid academic foundation for the systematic study of ancient Chinese bronze mirrors. I will present the research results of over 20 years in a format that readers will enjoy, hoping to bring them a relaxed and enjoyable reading experience on the basis of professionalism. Dragon pattern is one of the most important animal decorations in ancient China, as it is closely related to ancient emperors and has extraordinary political significance. Copper mirrors were daily utensils used by ancient people. From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Qing Dynasty, there were various types of dragon patterns on copper mirrors, which lasted for more than two thousand years. Its development pattern is worth summarizing carefully. The article "Flying Dragons in the Sky: Three Transformations of Dragon Pattern Images in the History of Chinese Bronze Mirrors" included in this book is a comprehensive article that aims to reveal the development laws of dragon pattern images on bronze mirrors. Historian Meng Wentong pointed out that when observing history, one should focus on the grandeur and magnificence of the waves. The vast Yangtze River, with waves stretching thousands of miles, requires the ability to grasp its major turning points in order to give a rough idea of the Yangtze River; Reading history also requires the ability to grasp the changes in history in order to give a rough idea of its development. On the basis of sorting and analyzing a large amount of dragon patterned mirror data, I propose three transformations of dragon patterned images in the history of Chinese bronze mirrors: the first transformation was from the late Warring States period to the late Western Han Dynasty. The characteristic image of the dragon on the bronze mirror is from snake like to beast like, from abstract to concrete. In terms of combination form, the Warring States Dragon Pattern Mirror is composed of several dragon patterns; In the Western Han Dynasty, especially in the late Western Han Dynasty, it gradually evolved into a combination of four gods: Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque, and Xuanwu; During the Eastern Han Dynasty, double dragons and dragon tiger combinations emerged one after another. The second transformation occurred from the late Sui and early Tang dynasties to the prosperous Tang dynasty. At the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the dragon patterned mirror continued the tradition since the Western Han Dynasty. As one of the four gods, the image of the blue dragon was still active on the mirror. After the appearance of the twelve zodiac animals on the mirror of the Sui Dynasty, the Chenlong also appeared among the twelve zodiac animals. Although the dragon's body is still in the shape of a beast, its body has gradually developed from thin and slender to the strong and powerful Panlong of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. In terms of composition, the combination of the four gods and twelve zodiac animals from the late Sui and early Tang dynasties has evolved into an independent form of representation, reflecting the development and changes in ancient Chinese history. The importance of dragon patterns has become increasingly prominent, essentially a visual representation of the continuous strengthening of imperial power in material and cultural aspects. The third transformation occurred from the late Tang and Five Dynasties to the late Northern Song Dynasty. Dragon patterns have returned from animal form to snake like shapes resembling giant pythons, and in the presentation of dragon pattern mirrors, single or double dragon compositions have emerged. Guo Ruoxu, a Song Dynasty scholar, proposed the concept of "folding out three stops" and "dividing into nine similarities" in dragon painting, which is a concrete manifestation of the standardization of dragon patterns. Since modern times, the image of dragons has been basically established in the Northern Song Dynasty, and has had a profound impact on the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties, and modern times. Why did the dragon pattern image undergo the three transformations mentioned above in the history of Chinese bronze mirrors? In short, this is the result of the interweaving of various factors such as the rise and fall of national strength, social life, ideological and cultural concepts, aesthetic trends, etc. in different historical periods, and presented in different forms on material carriers. I strive to make 'Flying Dragon in the Sky' a heartfelt work that systematically summarizes the development laws of ancient Chinese dragon patterned bronze mirrors and comprehensively showcases the artistic charm of dragon patterned mirrors in the National Museum. To what extent is the content of a book considered "systematic" or "comprehensive"? What are the standards for measuring its "system" and "comprehensiveness"? Meng Wentong explained very clearly: "It is not necessary to write about periods without changes, but during periods of significant changes, it is necessary to write about them specifically. If important projects are written, it can be said to be comprehensive; if they are explained clearly during periods of change, it can be said to be systematic." His statement is undoubtedly a secret to academic research, which requires younger scholars to carefully savor and appreciate in specific writing. As for the writing of the book "Flying Dragon in the Sky", I focus on two key points: one is the significant period of change, that is, the turning point of history; The other is an important project. The article 'Flying Dragon in the Sky: Three Transformations of Dragon Pattern Images in the History of Chinese Bronze Mirrors' focuses on addressing the issues that arise during periods of significant change. The second volume of this book, "The National Bodyguard Dragon Mirror", originally included 80 pieces of information about the dragon pattern mirror in the National Museum. Due to space constraints, it was compressed and reserved to 50 pieces, such as the Three Dragon Mirror in the Warring States Period, the Western Han Dynasty gilded China Daning Four Gods Museum Mirror, the Eastern Han Dynasty Tian's Seven Breasted and Feathered Man Four Gods Mirror, the Sui Dynasty Four Gods and Twelve Zodiac Signs Mirror, the Tang Dynasty Panlong Mirror, the Southern Song Dynasty Dragon Tiger Dan Ding Mirror, and the Ming Dynasty Xuande Double Dragon Mirror. This is the essence of the National Bodyguard Dragon Mirror. It is representative and can be said that "important items have been written", showing comprehensiveness. In the book, I try my best to enlarge a part of the bronze mirror image, so that the beauty of the dragon mirror decoration can be fully displayed to the readers. From the current results, this book has basically achieved the two writing goals mentioned above. Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, once said a well-known saying to later generations: "If you use copper as a mirror, you can straighten your clothes and crowns; if you use ancient times as a mirror, you can understand the rise and fall; if you use people as a mirror, you can understand gains and losses. I often protect these three mirrors to prevent myself from making mistakes." He endowed ordinary lighting fixtures with profound political significance and life philosophy, which can be said to be small mirrors and vast universe. The importance of studying copper mirrors is self-evident. The Tang Dynasty poet Li Yi's poem "Looking in the Mirror on the Day Before the Beginning of Autumn" expresses the academic spirit and life realm that I long for: "Everything is sold out of my body, and life is in the mirror. Only when my temples are covered with snow, tomorrow I will face the autumn wind