"Celestial dragons" 天龙人 (tiān lóng rén)

You’ll never guess where this phrase comes from….

Japanese manga!

Specifically, One Piece by Oda Eiichiro.

In the story, “celestial dragons” (天龙人) are descendants of twenty kings who founded the World Government.

They live above the law, consider themselves superior to ordinary humans, and enjoy absolute privilege.

The term first jumped to Taiwan, where netizens used it to mock Taipei's elite who enjoyed disproportionate resources and power.

Then... around May 2025 it went fully mainstream in Mainland China, following high profile scandals involving privileged youth flaunting wealth and connections.

Like "Miss Dong" (董小姐) who used her family influence to land a coveted doctor training position in a prestigious hospital.

It works in Chinese as both 天 (heaven) and 龙 (dragon) represent imperial power, with imagery like the emperor's "dragon robes" (龙袍), and being the "Son of Heaven" (天子). Even people who've never read One Piece instantly understand it means "untouchable elite."

So… now if you want to chat about China’s "second generation officials" (官二代) or "second generation wealth" (富二代)...

Why not drop “celestial dragons” (天龙人) into your convos instead!