[REVIEW] E-book crams everything about Korean dragons into 3 volumes

Rev. Steven L. Shields reviews David A. Mason’s three-volume e-book on Korean dragons, praising its broad treatment of art, culture and spirituality. He says the nearly 1,000-page work draws on decades of research, more than 1,000 temple visits and over 2,500 color photographs. He also notes that a print-on-demand edition is being prepared for later this year.

Mason’s work is divided into three themed volumes and runs to almost 1,000 pages and more than 80,000 words.

The book includes more than 2,500 color photographs drawn largely from the author’s own on-site research record over about 40 years.

Mason says he wrote the book without artificial intelligence and without outside editors to preserve his folksy storytelling style.

Published Sep 26, 2026 1:00 pm KST

The covers of David A. Mason's three-volume e-book on Korean dragons / Courtesy of Sanshinseon Publications

The world has a long and rich history of dragons. Various cultures have interpreted the powerful symbol differently, from the fire-breathing destroyers often seen in European settings, to the benevolent and compassionate images often found in ancient Asian spiritualties — notably shamanism and Daoism — and finally, to the adoption in Korean Buddhism of this rich symbolism found in almost every temple on the peninsula.

The royal and imperial nature of dragon iconography is also recognized when referring to the peninsula's historical monarchies. For example, royal robes were embroidered with dragon imagery. The ceiling of the throne hall at Gyeongbok Palace features a golden dragon sculpture symbolizing the king's power. The same is true of most Asian entities. Dragons are also symbols of life, representing the planet's large-scale water cycle. An understanding of Korea’s dragon culture is an essential part of understanding Korea and its people.

David A. Mason, a retired professor of cultural tourism, has been engaged in Korea since the early 1980s. He is a passionate storyteller, a much-loved tour guide and a consummate student and scholar. He is well-known for his insightful tours of Korea's mountains and temples, and for his deep knowledge of traditional religions, especially the mountain spirits and Buddhism. In 2011, he was appointed honorary ambassador of the Baekdu-daegan Mountain Range.

While Mason’s previous books are notable, his "Encyclopedia of Korean Buddhism" (with Ven. Hyewon), published in 2013, is both an official and essential reference work. Mason has an extensive bibliography of columns, essays and papers, and has delivered hundreds of lectures over his career.

His new, three-volume work on Korean dragons, both art and culture, was decades in the making and summarizes Mason’s site visits to more than 1,000 temples around Korea, along with a lifetime of research, including documentary work and extensive interviews with Buddhist clergy, leaders and scholars.

At almost 1,000 pages and north of 80,000 words, the work is divided into three themed volumes and includes more than 2,500 color photographs. "Korean Dragons" is not a coffee table photo book. The photos are not professionally staged. More importantly, the photos mostly come from the author's on-site research record from some 40 years of excursions and temple sojourns.

I am one of many old-school folks who love the smell of ink on paper and the weight of a large tome in my hands. I recall asking a mentor a few years back about an important work-related reference book. I asked if the website access was more practical than the printed book (which weighed at least 1 kilogram). She replied that she didn't trust any reference book that wouldn’t break her toe if dropped.

In the case of Mason’s work, the e-book format is both practical and economical. The digital quality of the photographs brings out their vivid colors and often intimate details. I think most will agree that an electronic format makes the information more readily accessible and affordable. However, like me, Mason is somewhat old-school when it comes to books, so he is currently preparing for a print-on-demand edition through Amazon that should be available sometime toward the end of this year. Those of us who love the feel of a printed tome will be pleased to have the choice of format, even though a printed book of this size will be pricey.

The author is fully transparent that he wrote the book without assistance from artificial intelligence. He also said that he forewent outside editors so he could retain his folksy, down-to-earth storytelling style. The three volumes are intended to tell the story of dragons in Korean art, culture and spirituality in a way that readers will find engaging, without requiring extensive academic training or technical knowledge of the topic. In short, it’s a book for all of us.

People and nations are both historical and spiritual. To better understand modern Korea, one must delve into the foundational roots of its people. The book is comfortably readable. I found it refreshing to read a book that is scholarly, with thorough citations and yet easily accessible for ordinary folks. The extensive illustrations bring life to the stories that words alone cannot, although Mason does a masterful job of the wordsmithing.

Mason has divided his work into three overall themes. The first volume gives the foundational concepts and background of dragon imagery and thought in the Korean context. The second volume focuses specifically on Buddhist “K-Dragons,” while the final volume delves into the rich heritage of the monarchs of the dragons, or the Dragon Kings.

One detail Mason incorporates, which I appreciate and find valuable, is four elements of nomenclature. He retains the ancient Hanja (“Chinese” character) names and titles, along with renditions in Hangeul, Romanized pronunciations and English-language translations. This single principle makes the book both valuable and flexible for the audience.

Mason and I are contemporaries, both of us having been engaged in Korea since our 20s and being only a few years apart in age. He and I have been members, lecturers, tour guides and active participants with the Royal Asiatic Society Korea. Like Mason, I, too, have been fascinated by the millennia-old spirituality of the Korean people. I enjoy visiting temples and shrines.

These sacred places include several facets: ritualistic traditions, monastic devotion, architecture and the artistic imagery that adorns temple walls. Yet, I had only a rudimentary understanding. Accessible information about the depth of symbolism is difficult to obtain, let alone grasp, especially for a non-native visitor. Mason has filled this important need.

People and nations are at once historical and spiritual. To better understand modern Korea, one must delve into the ancient heritage of its people. Those interested primarily in art will find a rich collection of paintings and descriptions, including the broader Asian elements alongside the Korean focus.

Religious and spiritual elements focus on Korean Buddhist practice and theology, as well as Confucian thought, folk and tribal practices, shamanistic spiritual practices and sacred places. You will also find a wealth of philosophical expression throughout the book. Whatever your primary interest, you will not be disappointed. It has something for everyone.

Visit sanshinseon.com/dragons-of-korea for further information and to contact the book’s author.

Rev. Steven L. Shields, FRAS, has lived in Korea for many years, beginning in the 1970s. A Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, he is also a life member of Royal Asiatic Society Korea, of which he was a director, vice president and president. He was a copy editor of The Korea Times in 1977.

史蒂文·L·希尔兹牧师评论了戴维·A·梅森关于韩国龙的三卷电子书，赞扬其对艺术、文化和精神层面的全面论述。他表示，这部近千页的著作取材于数十年的研究、超过一千次的寺庙考察以及两千五百多张彩色照片。他还提到，该书的按需印刷版将于今年晚些时候推出。

梅森的作品分为三个主题卷，共近 1000 页，超过 80000 字。

本书收录了 2500 多张彩色照片，这些照片大多来自作者 40 多年来的实地考察记录。

梅森表示，为了保持他朴实的叙事风格，他创作这本书时没有借助人工智能，也没有聘请外部编辑。

发布于2026年9月26日下午1点（韩国标准时间）

大卫·A·梅森所著三卷本韩国龙电子书封面 / 图片由三信善出版社提供

世界有着悠久而丰富的龙的历史。不同的文化对这一强大的象征有着不同的诠释，从欧洲常见的喷火毁灭者，到古代亚洲精神信仰（尤其是萨满教和道教）中常见的仁慈慈悲的形象，最终到韩国佛教对这一丰富象征意义的采纳，几乎在朝鲜半岛的每座寺庙中都能找到它的身影。

龙的象征意义体现在朝鲜半岛的历史君主制中，例如，皇家服饰上常绣有龙的图案。景福宫的御殿天花板上雕刻着象征君王权力的金龙。这种情况在大多数亚洲国家中都很常见。龙也是生命的象征，代表着地球庞大的水循环。了解韩国的龙文化是理解韩国及其人民的重要组成部分。

大卫·A·梅森是一位退休的文化旅游教授，自20世纪80年代初便投身于韩国文化事业。他是一位充满激情的讲故事者，一位深受爱戴的导游，也是一位博学多才的学生和学者。他以其对韩国山川寺庙的独到见解和对传统宗教（尤其是山神和佛教）的深刻理解而闻名。2011年，他被任命为白头大干山脉名誉大使。

梅森之前的著作也颇具影响力，但他与惠元法师合著的《韩国佛教百科全书》（2013年出版）更是一部官方且重要的参考著作。梅森著述颇丰，包括专栏文章、随笔和论文，并在其职业生涯中举办过数百场讲座。

他关于韩国龙的艺术和文化的新作共三卷，历经数十年才完成，总结了梅森对韩国各地 1000 多座寺庙的实地考察，以及他毕生的研究成果，包括文献工作和对佛教僧侣、领袖和学者的广泛采访。

这部作品近千页，超过八万字，分为三个主题卷，包含两千五百余幅彩色照片。《韩国龙》并非一本摆在茶几上的精美画册，照片也并非专业摆拍。更重要的是，这些照片大多取材于作者近四十年来实地考察和寺庙探访的记录。

我属于很多喜欢纸质书味道和手捧厚重书籍感觉的老派人士之一。几年前，我曾向一位导师请教一本重要的工作参考书。我问她，网页版是否比纸质书（至少重一公斤）更方便。她回答说，她不信任任何一本掉在地上不会砸到她脚趾的参考书。

就梅森的作品而言，电子书格式既实用又经济。照片的数码品质使其色彩鲜艳，细节之处也得以充分展现。我想大多数人都会认同，电子格式让信息更容易获取，价格也更实惠。然而，和我一样，梅森在纸质书方面也有些怀旧，所以他目前正在准备通过亚马逊推出按需印刷版本，预计将于今年年底上市。我们这些喜欢纸质书手感的人会很高兴能有这种格式的选择，尽管这种尺寸的纸质书价格不菲。

作者坦诚地表示，本书完全由他独立完成，未借助任何人工智能技术。他还提到，为了保持其朴实无华、贴近生活的叙事风格，他放弃了聘请外部编辑。这三卷本旨在以引人入胜的方式，讲述龙在韩国艺术、文化和精神世界中的故事，读者无需具备深厚的学术背景或相关专业知识即可轻松阅读。简而言之，这是一本适合所有人的书。

人民和国家既是历史的，也是精神的。要更好地了解现代韩国，就必须深入探究其民族的根基。这本书读起来轻松流畅。我发现，既学术严谨、引证详实，又通俗易懂，让普通读者也能轻松阅读，这真是一件令人耳目一新的事。书中丰富的插图赋予了故事鲜活的生命力，这是文字本身所无法企及的，当然，梅森的文字功底也十分精湛。

梅森将他的著作分为三大主题。第一卷阐述了韩国语境下龙的意象和思想的基本概念和背景。第二卷专门探讨佛教中的“韩国龙”，而最后一卷则深入研究了龙王（或称龙王）的丰富历史遗产。

梅森在书中融入的一个细节令我非常欣赏，也认为极具价值，那就是他采用了四项命名原则。他保留了古老的汉字名称和称谓，同时还提供了韩文译文、罗马拼音和英文翻译。正是这一原则使得本书既实用又灵活，能够满足不同读者的需求。

我和梅森是同龄人，我们都从二十多岁就开始在韩国生活，年龄也相差无几。我们都曾是韩国皇家亚洲学会的会员、讲师、导游和积极参与者。和梅森一样，我也被韩国人民传承千年的精神信仰深深吸引。我喜欢参观寺庙和神社。

这些圣地包含诸多方面：仪式传统、僧侣虔诚、建筑风格以及装饰寺庙墙壁的艺术图像。然而，我对它们的了解却十分肤浅。想要深入了解其象征意义的深层含义并非易事，更遑论真正理解，尤其对于非本地游客而言。梅森的著作恰好满足了这一重要需求。

人民和国家既是历史的产物，也是精神的载体。要更好地了解现代韩国，就必须深入探究其古老的文化遗产。对艺术感兴趣的读者会发现这里收藏了大量的绘画和文字资料，其中既包含韩国本土的艺术元素，也涵盖了更广泛的亚洲文化内涵。

本书的宗教和精神层面侧重于韩国佛教的修行和神学，以及儒家思想、民间和部落习俗、萨满教的灵修方式和圣地。书中还蕴含着丰富的哲学思考。无论您的主要兴趣是什么，本书都不会让您失望。它能满足每个人的需求。

访问 sanshinseon.com/dragons-of-korea 获取更多信息并联系本书作者。

史蒂文·L·希尔兹牧师（FRAS）自20世纪70年代起便在韩国生活多年。他是英国皇家亚洲学会会员，也是韩国皇家亚洲学会终身会员，曾任该学会理事、副会长和会长。1977年，他曾担任《韩国时报》的文字编辑。