Visit Hue, the land of dragons.

The dragon is a mythical creature, the foremost of the four sacred animals (dragon,麒麟, turtle, phoenix). It possesses the most beautiful features of nine real animals: the body of a snake, the scales of a carp, the head of a camel, the antlers of a deer, the legs of a tiger, the claws of an eagle, the ears of a cow, the nose and mane of a lion, and the tail of a rooster.

Hue boat trip to the land of dragons (image 1) — The dragon – a symbol of the Nguyen dynasty's power and authority.

The image of the dragon in Vietnam dates back to very early times, perhaps most notably to the legend of "Children of the Dragon and the Immortal," which originated during the Hung Kings era. Throughout the feudal periods of Vietnam, the image of the dragon was widely used, especially in architectural decoration and court art.

In early Vietnam, when regulations regarding the artistic and decorative styles of the royal court were strict, the dragon image was only used in the royal palace and therefore mainly appeared in architectural works such as palaces, temples, tombs, or on royal items reserved for the emperor such as the throne, seals, imperial decrees, clothing, shoes, hats, cups, etc.

Hue boat trip to the land of dragons (image 2) — The image of the dragon is prominently displayed on the Five Phoenix Pavilion at Ngọn Môn, Huế .

Later, stemming from the belief that besides symbolizing the emperor's authority, the dragon also represents sacredness, protection, prosperity, good fortune, favorable weather, etc., the image of the dragon gradually became popularized and appeared frequently in folk cultural institutions such as communal houses, temples, and even burial grounds.

However, the popularization of the dragon image also occurred to a certain extent and according to certain conventions so as not to violate or trivialize the image of the sacred creature that was the exclusive privilege of the royal family.

Hue boat trip to the land of dragons (image 3) — The majestic dragon adorns the roof of the palace at Emperor Tu Duc's tomb.

According to researchers, there are differences between imperial dragons and folk dragons. Dragons symbolizing the emperor must have 81 yang scales and 36 yin scales, a body that curves in nine sections, and five claws on each foot. Folk dragons, however, usually only have three or four claws; or they may transform into other forms such as pythons, dragons, dragon-horses, or even chrysanthemum-transformed dragons or bamboo-transformed dragons…

Returning to the dragon imagery of the Nguyen Dynasty, one can see that the dragons of this period inherited the slender, slightly curved horns of the Tran Dynasty dragons; the dorsal fins were thin, long, and evenly spaced… unlike the long, alternating large and small rays of the Tran Dynasty dragons; the body of the Nguyen Dynasty dragons also had quite diverse curves, but the basic form of the snake-like body remained soft and graceful, similar to the dragons of the Ly and Tran Dynasties; the coiled tail resembled the dragons of the Le Trung Hung and Tay Son Dynasties; the dragon's cheeks were shorter and slightly fatter than the slender, long cheeks of the Ly and Tran Dynasties; the gills of the Nguyen Dynasty dragons resembled sharp, pointed, and long sparks of fire, unlike the single swirl of the Ly Dynasty and the multiple swirls of the Tran Dynasty…

Hue boat trip to the land of dragons (image 4) — A rather ornate depiction of a dragon worshipping the sun, made of cloisonné enamel, adorns the roof of the palace at the tomb of King Đồng Khánh.

In summary, dragons of the Nguyen dynasty inherited characteristics from dragons of previous periods, but their form and spirit appeared more powerful and majestic, and their depictions were richer and more diverse. Depending on the position and meaning, dragons of this period sometimes only showed a part of their body, such as the head, face, or torso, rather than in the form of a complete dragon as in previous periods.

Dragons during the Nguyen Dynasty were depicted in many distinctive themes such as: two dragons fighting for a pearl, two dragons facing the sun, dragon playing in water, returning dragon, circular dragon, dragon chasing, dragon and phoenix, dragon and unicorn, dragon of longevity, dragon and cloud celebrating auspicious gathering, bamboo transforming into a dragon, chrysanthemum transforming into a dragon…

The materials used are also very diverse; generally, whatever material is available, dragons are depicted using it, such as gold, silver, copper, stone, lime mortar, wood, fabric, bone, ivory, pottery, porcelain, etc. The methods of depiction are also incredibly varied, including: bronze casting, stone carving, lime mortar sculpting, wood carving, mother-of-pearl inlay, embroidery on fabric, painting on paper, pottery, porcelain, etc.

Hue boat trip to the land of dragons (image 5) — The magnificent bronze dragon statue, cast in 1842, stands in front of the Duyet Thi Duong theater in the Imperial Citadel of Hue.

Here are some typical and unique dragon decorations in Nguyen Dynasty art. For example, in the two octagonal houses on either side of Kien Trung Pavilion in the Forbidden City, all the dragons on the roof edges face outwards, not in the usual "reversing dragon" style; this is a rather interesting exception.

For example, at the Ngung Hy Palace and the Dong Khanh Mausoleum, at the gable ends, dragons are decorated in the form of "tiger amulets," with one side of the dragon facing forward and its mouth holding the character "Thọ" (longevity) or a circle.

A particularly remarkable example is the Long An Palace, where all the roof trusses supporting the building's roof are made of solid wood and intricately carved with dragon motifs using extremely sophisticated techniques. These carvings are considered masterpieces of traditional Vietnamese wood carving art.

Hue boat trip to the land of dragons (image 6) — A vibrant and lively painting adorns the main gate of King Đồng Khánh's tomb.

Notably, during the reign of Emperor Khai Dinh (1916-1925), the art of dragon decoration was elevated to a new level through the technique of mosaic art using ceramic tiles. Under the skillful hands of Hue artisans, in addition to the extremely intricate dragon statues and reliefs made from lime mortar, there were also vibrant, shimmering, and mystical dragon images in many colors thanks to the mosaic technique using ceramic tiles.

Typical examples include the enormous canopy and the large columns in the Thien Dinh Palace. Particularly noteworthy is the "Nine Dragons Hidden in the Clouds" painting, depicting nine dragons hidden in the clouds on the ceiling of the Thien Dinh Palace. Legend says it was painted by the artist Phan Van Tanh using both his hands and feet while lying on his back.

Hue boat trip to the land of dragons (image 7) — The dragon relief, carved in the "tiger-like" style, features very delicate and vivid details on the screen wall of King Đồng Khánh's tomb.

It can be said that, over the years and surpassing even the institutions of its time, by the Nguyen dynasty the dragon had reached a strong and perfected level of development in terms of content, form, and mode of expression, so it can be affirmed that the dragon is a characteristic feature of Vietnamese culture during the Nguyen dynasty.

And to this day, through the ups and downs of history, the image of the dragon from the Nguyen dynasty remains vividly and fully present in a vast treasure trove of heritage encompassing various art forms from the royal court to folk art, enough to establish Hue as the land of dragons, the eternally renowned imperial capital.

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