The Chinese call themselves "the descendants of the dragon" for a reason. Emperor Yandi, a legendary tribal leader in predynastic China, was said to have been born out of his mother's telepathic interaction with a mighty dragon.
Although opinions may differ, most researchers have identified the man with Shennong, or "the Divine Farmer", long venerated as someone who not only invented a wide array of farming tools but was also a pioneer in using herbal medicine.
Given that the Chinese consider themselves to be yan huang zi sun, meaning the posterity of Yandi and Huangdi, it's only natural that they have placed the dragon at the very centre of their ancestral worship.