"The Torch (Sun) Dragon" comes from the illustration of Ch'u Yuan's (343-278 BC) enigmatic "Heavenly Questions". The illustration shows a dragon with a ball of fire in its mouth providing a source of light for the sunless world. The earliest depiction is the 1645 print by Hsiao Yun-ts'ung. In the 18th century, the Ch'ien-lung Emperor ordered Men Ying-chao to paint a copy and had the original touched up for inclusion in the Four Treasuries book project. The National Palace Museum has Hsiao's original print, Men's copy, and an anonymous hand copy from the Wen-yuan-ko palace library in its collection.

       Though the print features images in thin lines and black-and-white, Men's copy returns to the brushwork of painting and also omits the "king" character (wang ?) from the dragon's head. The features of the Wen-yuan-ko version lie in between those of the print and Men's painting.