Dragons sculpted from ceramic tiles adorn the gable ends of the Thái Hòa Palace ( Hue Imperial Citadel).

From the dragon's lair...

The book Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, compiled by the National History Institute of the Nguyen Dynasty, records (Vietnamese translation): “The capital [Hue] is where mountains and seas meet, situated between the South and the North, with high and dry land, calm mountains and rivers, the waterways have the deep and treacherous Thuan An and Tu Hien estuaries, the land routes are blocked by Hoanh Son and Hai Van passes, the great river stretches in front, the high mountains stand behind, like a dragon coiled and a tiger seated, this solid formation is arranged by heaven and earth, truly the supreme capital of the king” (Volume 1).

From the perspective of I Ching and Feng Shui, Hue is "the land of the dragon," worthy of being chosen as the capital of a unified Vietnam after nearly 2.5 centuries of separation into the North and South. In Phu Bien Tap Luc, Le Quy Don assessed Phu Xuan (the old name of Hue) as having "a flat piece of land like a hand, more than 10 miles wide, with the main palace in the middle, the land higher on all four sides, that is, a prominent spot in the middle of the flat land, in the northwest position looking towards the southeast, leaning against the ridge, overlooking the riverbank, with a cluster of mountains in front," a place "with five tiger waters embracing in front... and three dragon sand barriers on the left."

Hue, located in the heart of Central Vietnam, is protected to the west by the majestic Truong Son mountain range, its waters flowing in a northwest-southeast direction; to the east lies the vast ocean, situated within the basin of the Perfume River, Kim Long River, and Bach Yen River system; to the south are mountains, and to the north are rivers. From a feng shui perspective, this area must possess a dragon vein. The Perfume River flows from south to north. South of the Perfume River lies a high mountainous region, the confluence of the Ta and Huu Trach rivers. These two rivers merge at the headwaters of the Perfume River, where high mountains are located, including Thuong Son (Kim Phung Mountain), the main mountain of Hue. Looking more broadly, the entire hilly area to the west of Hue originates from the mountain branches of the Truong Son range extending to the sea, creating a grand geographical feature, known in feng shui as a "horizontal dragon."

A bronze dragon cast in 1842 stands guard in front of Duyet Thi Duong (Hue Imperial Citadel).

Before reaching the sea, the Perfume River meanders and changes direction many times before embracing the land that was later chosen by King Gia Long to build the Hue Imperial City. According to Ta Ao's book "Geography of the Imperial City," the more winding and twisting the dragon vein of a piece of land, the more vitality it possesses. King Gia Long chose this location to create the appearance of the capital, with all the necessary elements: the front barrier (Ngu Binh Mountain), the left green dragon (Hen islet), the right white tiger (Da Vien islet), the main hall, the bright hall, and water reaching the palace... This is why Hue is said to have a dragon vein.

Arriving in the land of dragons

Thang Long was the capital of the Ly, Tran, Ho, early Le, Mac, and later Le dynasties for nearly eight centuries (1010-1789), a land where "dragons ascend." Hue, the capital of the Nguyen dynasty for only 143 years (1802-1945), is also a land where dragons converge. This is because, during the nearly 1.5 centuries of Nguyen rule in Hue, the region became the largest political , cultural, and artistic center of Vietnam/Dai Nam. This is why the image of the dragon is present everywhere in Hue and persists to this day.

Dragons appear in the space, architecture, culture, and art of Hue, in a variety of materials, artistic expressions, decorative themes, and expressive meanings. In terms of space, dragons are present on temples, palaces, shrines, and pagodas inside and outside the Hue imperial palace. They appear on roof ridges, eaves, cornices, gables, gutters, screens, steps, rafters, door frames, and ceremonial gates of architectural structures. Dragons decorate the Nine Dynastic Urns, the throne, the ceremonial canopy, and altars of the Nguyen dynasty kings and officials. Dragons are also incorporated into the handles of seals, insignia, and the four treasures of the scholar's study.

Dragons are decorative motifs on the clothing, hats, and shoes of emperors and empresses, or sometimes as distinct works of art in courtyards and pavilions, such as the two dragon statues in front of Duyet Thi Duong. Dragons also appear on the Nine Divine Cannons or in the patterns on the muskets of Emperor Thieu Tri, which are still preserved at the Hue Imperial Antiquities Museum... One can find the image of the dragon anywhere in Hue: in the magnificent golden palaces, the solemn tombs, the simple temples and pagodas in the villages surrounding Hue, in majestic monuments and grand architecture, or on riverbanks and steps in parks…

The art of depicting dragons during the Nguyen Dynasty in Hue was diverse: openwork carving, relief carving, bronze casting, gold and silver embellishment, precious stone carving, mother-of-pearl inlay, ceramics, embroidery on fabric, painting with pigments on paper and porcelain, and even transforming vegetables into luxurious dishes in Hue's imperial cuisine ... Sometimes they were depicted in three-dimensional forms, sometimes on flat surfaces, and other times they were painted in relief beneath a glaze. Truly, there was a myriad of variations.

The themes depicted are also a distinctive feature when discussing dragons during the Nguyen dynasty. Motifs such as: two dragons vying 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 auspicious gathering, bamboo transforming into a dragon, chrysanthemum transforming into a dragon... appear in almost all architectural relics, decorative works, and art pieces from the Nguyen dynasty currently preserved in Hue.

The dragon has transcended the royal court and is present throughout Hue, becoming a cultural feature and an artistic symbol of the ancient capital. Besides the dragon imagery symbolizing royalty—majestic and elaborate—Hue also boasts "folklorized" dragons, appearing in village communal houses, temples, and shrines. Sometimes, these "folkloric" dragons are more vibrant and expressive than the majestic ones in the royal court. This is what makes Hue so fascinating for those who visit, explore, and learn about this "land of dragons."

2024 is the Year of the Dragon, and the author of this article hopes that the dragons of Hue will emerge from its culture, art, architecture, and so on, taking flight from its auspicious land, becoming symbols in economic, social, and cultural development, so that Hue will truly "transform into a dragon" in the future.

Text and photos: Tran Duc Anh Son