Dragon Tell The Royal Story

Dragons and phoenixes are among the four sacred animals in Vietnamese culture, the other two being kylins and turtles.

- Ha Nguyen

In the group of four, dragons are always at the top position. This royal creature has been introduced to audiences in an ongoing exhibition of treasured items created in the era of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), currently being held in the city of Hue.

Dragons first appeared in Vietnamese culture in the Dong Son era, which occurred from 1000 BC to the 1st Century AD. At first, the dragons were depicted only in simple structures, and they were often shown in pairs.

The imaginary animal became complicated in structure and patterns in art and cultural works when the country gained independence from feudal China, particularly in the eras of the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225) and the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400).

Experts said the eras’ dragons experienced a breakthrough in structure and art values compared to those existing in China at the time. They also carried the profound identity of Vietnamese culture.

Dragons later became vivid and typical in the era of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last monarchy in the country. Along with dragons carved intricately on wooden items, pottery makers in this era succeeded in creating dragons in different styles on items used for ritual and royal buildings. They might appear alone, in pairs or in groups.