New exhibition detailing the depiction of the creature in currency over the ages explores their transition from spiritual totem to national symbol. Wang Kaihao reports.

When asked where is the most common place to see images of Chinese dragons, most people would probably guess it was the Palace Museum in Beijing.

However, the answer is actually much more down-to-earth－on currency notes.

An exhibition at Beijing's Deshengmen Archery Tower that opened on Friday aims to give people the bigger picture of how dragons have been depicted on currency throughout Chinese history.

At Traveling Around the World: Chinese Dragons on Banknotes and Coins, currency exhibits have gone on display, demonstrating the origins of this animal deity, delving into its auspicious meanings through the ages, and showing the dragon grew to become ancient China's imperial symbol.