In 1978 the city of Hong Kong began circulating a series of banknotes featuring mythical Chinese animals. This shifting from portraits of historical figures to a theme representative of the local culture was ahead of its time. Only nowadays do we see this trend really increasing. The cryptids are arranged to form a natural hierarchy corresponding to the denominations – from aquatic to amphibious to terrestrial to celestial. A traditional legend has the carp turning into a dragon, giving the series a cyclical character. The symbolism behind the series goes further than just the imagery – it represents how Hong Kong people can work hard to turn $20 (the carp) into $1000 (the dragon). The series was updated 1985, 1993, 2003, and finally in 2010 with the latest anti-counterfeiting technology.