Quote:Um, sorry, but not exactly.
The Chinese will base mechs off their dragons.... which do ot even have legs.
Chinese dragons are sometimes depicted without legs, yes. But it's much more common for them to be portrayed with forelimbs ending in bird-like talons. Sometimes they also have rear feet. Sometimes also feet like tiger paws.
That said, the talons could be weapon mounts.
In any case, there's a raftload of other mythological beasts in Chinese background culture for designers to draw on. Guardian lions, for example, have featured in Chinese art since around 200 BC.
Allowing for contemporary drift, they're the first thing I think of when asked to envision a Chinese creature...though admittedly, that may be because the statues are so common in Chinese communities. You've probably seen 'em before - they're typically big stone or metal things that look like a bulldog and lion loved each other very very much.
-- Acyl