The pair of dragon mascots symbolizing the Nguyen Hue flower street in Ho Chi Minh City were forced to be dismantled after being installed in Da Lat.

The "Two Dragons Paying Ho Chi Minh City Facing Each Other" dragon mascot is now in Da Lat and has been ordered to be dismantled - Photo: QUANG DINH

On May 20th, the People's Committee of Da Lat City announced that it had issued a penalty decision against Indochina Railway Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company (referred to as Indochina Company) for installing an unauthorized dragon structure and model on a plot of land at 1 Quang Trung Street (Ward 9, Da Lat).

Two dragons set a new record.

According to the decision of the Da Lat City People's Committee, the fine imposed is 90 million VND, and Dong Duong Company is required to dismantle the dragon model within 10 days.

Pair of dragon mascots (Two dragons facing each other) installed in Da Lat: Fined 90 million VND, ordered to be dismantled.

According to Tuoi Tre Online , the pair of dragon models that were ordered to be dismantled for unauthorized installation were the "Two Dragons Paying Homage" dragon mascots – one of the highlights of Nguyen Hue flower street during the 2024 Lunar New Year (Year of the Dragon). The pair of dragon mascots were over 100 meters long, with each dragon head having a diameter of over 2 meters.

The "Two Dragons Paying Homage" sculpture was dismantled on April 3-4 after more than two months and transported to Da Lat for continued display.

The "Two Dragons Paying Homage" dragon mascot travels from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat - Photo: MV

In Ho Chi Minh City, the "Two Dragons Paying Homage" dragon mascot, considered a unique work of art, is 100 meters long. It was a highlight of Nguyen Hue pedestrian street during the recent Tet holiday - Photo: QUANG DINH

Fined for secretly installing the device without notifying the authorities.

The pair of dragon mascots, "Two Dragons Paying Homage to Each Other," were transported to Da Lat by 17 trucks, including the iron frame, and assembled by Dong Duong Company.

By April 10th, the People's Committee of Ward 9 had documented the unauthorized construction of eight iron frames shaped like dragons. The iron frames measured 114m (length), 18.7m (width), and 9.7m (height).

The People's Committee of Ward 9 (Da Lat) determined that the investor had violated construction regulations, specifically point b, clause 7, article 16 (Decree No. 16/2022/ND-CP). Specifically, the investor constructed the building without a permit, which is required by law, within a conservation area, historical and cultural relic site, or other construction project.

The dragon mascot, "Two Dragons Paying Homage," is made of 90% rattan and bamboo, and woven bamboo panels - Photo: MV

Ms. Hoang Thi Luyen, director of Dong Duong Company, said: “The company was presented with a pair of dragon mascots, the 'Two Dragons Paying Homage' statues, by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee after the exhibition period on Nguyen Hue pedestrian street ended, in recognition of our significant contributions to the fight against the pandemic. The company is very proud to receive these dragon mascots, which were meticulously crafted by artisans from the South.”

The handover was quite rushed, so after receiving the structure, the company installed it on its own land. Recognizing it as a temporary structure made primarily of bamboo and rattan, intended only for decoration within the premises during the Year of the Dragon, we did not bother to report it to the authorities for guidance."

Waiting for instructions on how to create tourism products in accordance with regulations.

Ms. Luyen admitted to making mistakes during the installation of the dragon mascot, specifically failing to report to the authorities for the reasons mentioned above. However, she argued that regulations should be applied more appropriately to works of art.

She said: "At the time the report was drawn up, I also disagreed with the determination of the error according to the aforementioned regulations, because this was not a construction project at all, apart from the iron frame supporting the dragon's body."

We hope the Da Lat City People's Committee will provide guidance on implementing this again in accordance with regulations, creating conditions for displaying a work of art. After the Year of the Dragon, the main body will be reused for tourism activities during the Tet holiday in Da Lat."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cap-linh-vat-rong-bieu-tuong-duong-hoa-nguyen-hue-tp-hcm-bi-buoc-thao-do-khi-lap-tai-da-lat-20240520145908381.htm