Originally part of the fountain outside the Haiyan Hall of the Yuanmingyuan. The bronze statue of the dragon head represents the hour of Chen (7am to 9pm) and is one of the twelve zodiac bronze statues. It was designed by European missionary, Italian Lang Shining, supervised by French Jiang Youren, and produced by Qing court craftsmen. The bronze statue of the dragon's head symbolizes power and nobility, and is an important symbol in traditional Chinese culture. In 1860, the Anglo French coalition invaded China and burned down the Old Summer Palace, causing the bronze dragon head statue to begin to be lost overseas. It is now collected in Taiwan, China, China, but the specific situation is still unclear. On December 17, 2018, the dragon head, suspected to be one of the twelve animal heads of the Yuanmingyuan zodiac, appeared at a small auction in Paris, France.

It is a symbol of great mystery and high status in Chinese culture, representing power, nobility, and good luck. In the Twelve Earthly Branches, the dragon corresponds to "Chen" and is therefore also known as "Chenlong". In traditional Chinese culture, it is a symbol of auspiciousness and also a symbol of emperors, representing supreme status and authority. In the legends of the twelve zodiac animals, the dragon is known for its extraordinary power and magical ability to change, and is regarded as a divine beast that can summon wind and rain and control the weather. Legend has it that in the process of selecting zodiac animals, dragons, with their extraordinary abilities and divinity, have won people's respect and worship, thus occupying a prestigious position in the zodiac.