The Chinese proverb ‘Hualong Dianjing’ (literally painting the dragon and adding the eyes) refers to the finishing touch, or is used to describe how, when writing or speaking, one or two key sentences could enhance the contents.
The proverb was made famous by a story about the famous painter Zhang Sengyou who lived in the Southern and Northern Dynasties Period (420-589).
“Once Zhang Sengyou visited the Jinan temple in Jin Ling (Nanjing) and painted on the wall four dragons, but gave none of them eyes.
He explained, 'With the eyes painted on, the dragons would fly away.'
Nobody believed this, so Zhang took up his brush and added eyes to one of the dragons. No sooner had he finished than the dragon flew into the sky amid a thunderstorm. The other dragons without eyes stayed painted on the wall.”
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.成语“画龙点睛”常用来比喻作文或说话时在关键地方加一两句重要的话，使内容变得更加生动有力。
这句成语却因为南北朝时期(420-589)的画家张僧繇的一个历史故事而成名。
唐•张彦远《历代名画记•张僧繇》：
张僧繇于金陵安乐寺，画四龙于壁，不点睛。
每曰：“点之即飞去。”
人以为诞，因点其一。须臾，雷电破壁，一龙乘云上天。未点睛者皆在。
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