In Vietnam, the dragon is considered the most important and sacred symbol of this Eastern ethnic group, from remote times to the present time.

According to the old myth of the creation of the Kinh people, all the Vietnamese citizens descend from a dragon. For them, the dragon is a fantastic animal that governs the rain. For that reason, when one is blessed by a dragon, one succeeds in agriculture.

The fabulous dragon is a symbol that represents the king, the prosperity and the energy of the Vietnamese nation. Like the Chinese dragon, the Vietnamese is the symbol of the Yang. It represents the universe, the life, the existence and the growth.

DRAGONS AND DYNASTIES

During the dynasty of Tran (1225-1400), the dragons had a similar aspect to those of the previous dynasty of Ly.

Nevertheless, it is possible to emphasize some different details: its tail is shorter; its body is slightly fatter. The Vietnamese dragon can be represented with different types of tails.

The Tran dragon symbolized the martial arts, because the Tran Kings were descendants of a Mandarin commander.

Since the Vietnamese people had to fight against the invasions of the Mongols, the image of the dragon was influenced by the Chinese dragon, thanks to the reach of Confucianism inthese lands.

Later they are represented in legends in a very majestic way: Vietnamese dragons begin to portray lion heads and a great nose.

THE DECAY OF THE ART

During the dynasty of Nguyen (1802-1883), the dragon began to be imagined with a spiral tail, one fiery fin, and great claws.

In time, the image of this animal went degenerating, until it lost its majestic form.

For many, such change must be considered as a signal of the artistic declination suffered by the following Vietnamese dynasty.