Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Hong Hai is Head of the Department of Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Anthropology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi). He is also an expert in symbol research with the book series Typical symbols in Vietnamese culture (volumes 1 - 4).
PV: The dragon symbol is not unique to Vietnam but also to many other European and Asian countries. So how is the Vietnamese dragon spiritually different from the dragons of other countries, sir?
Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Hong Hai
Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Hong Hai: In fact, both the East and the West have dragon symbols. Compared to the West, the dragon in Eastern culture in general and in Vietnam in particular has many positive elements. Meanwhile, the dragon in the West has a negative meaning, because of the negativity, there is the image of a warrior killing a dragon.
When it comes to the Vietnamese dragon, many people think it is a copy of the Chinese symbol, of the Chinese-speaking cultures. However, these people do not think that there is another element, the Indian Naga snake symbol. In the Chinese-speaking cultures or Indian-speaking cultures, there are two symbols of the dragon and the Naga snake. The Vietnamese dragon symbol is a wonderful combination of the Chinese dragon and the Indian Naga snake.
Can you elaborate on the fact that the Vietnamese dragon symbol is a combination of the Chinese dragon and the Indian Naga snake?
The Chinese dragon is a four-legged animal with a tail, a mane on its head, and a large mouth with sharp fangs. From an artistic perspective, the Chinese dragon is not really beautiful. However, this model is quite fully incorporated into the Ly Dynasty dragon, only the language of expression is different. Meanwhile, the Indian snake god is shaped very gracefully and the language of expression is very similar to the Ly Dynasty dragon.
The Ly Dynasty dragon statue is displayed at Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
Dragon drawing of Ly dynasty
Dragon head discovered in Thang Long Imperial Citadel
More precisely, the Ly dynasty dragon has body parts similar to the Chinese dragon, but the details of the art of shaping are those of the Indian snake god. Some special details such as the mane, beard, and head shape are the most important details, which are almost those of the Naga snake god. Another special point is that the mane, beard, and head of the dragon are arranged in the shape of a Bodhi leaf - a characteristic of Buddhist art. This detail affirms the separation from the influence of the Chinese dragon. In addition, while the mane of the Chinese dragon flies backwards, the mane of the Ly dragon and the snake god flies forward, creating decorative strips with a tight and complete layout.
I think this combination is also the reason why Professor Tran Quoc Vuong once said that the art of the Ly Dynasty was a pinnacle that later dynasties could hardly match. The dragon symbol of the Tran and Le dynasties could not be compared to the dragon symbol of the Ly Dynasty. The dragon of the Ly Dynasty is a masterpiece with its flexibility - a link between Chinese and Indian culture in the heart of Dai Viet culture.
Do you mean that the Ly dynasty dragon is the most beautiful dragon in the entire history of Vietnamese art?
Yes, that is the aesthetic. But this symbol also has other beauties, coming from the royal nature of the dragon symbol. For folk artists to create the Ly dynasty dragon symbol combining the Naga snake god with the Chinese dragon, there must be an important factor. That is the permission of the royal court.
Reconstructing the dragon column model in Bach Thao
Stone pillar of Phat Tich pagoda has dragon shape
The Ly Dynasty allowed it and the Ly Dynasty kings did not keep the dragon for themselves as the Chinese emperors often "monopolized". The Ly Dynasty used the dragon as a national symbol, not a symbol of the royal family or the king. Therefore, the dragon could be on communal houses, pagodas, and even in private homes. The Ly Dynasty also did not have strict regulations such as how many claws the dragon had to have like the dragons of the Song or Ming dynasties in China. This helped artisans to highly promote their creativity in creating dragons. One can see the democratic element of the Ly Dynasty dragon.
The dragon symbol of the Ly Dynasty is an affirmation of human rights, royal power and sovereignty of the Vietnamese people with the pride of being citizens of an independent country. Following the Ly Dynasty, the Tran Dynasty, the Le Dynasty, the Tay Son Dynasty, and the Nguyen Dynasty all used the dragon as a symbol of the nation through the authority of the king. Until now, the dragon is still considered the ancestor of the Vietnamese people from the Hong Bang period with the legend of Lac Long Quan - Au Co and the Vietnamese people today still consider themselves "Descendants of the Dragon and the Fairy".
Gather strength to fly
In the Ly Dynasty's visual arts, the image of the dragon can be considered a sacred symbol that carries the values and soul of the era. It not only established a distinct image for this dynasty in Vietnam but also created a difference for the dragon image in Asia. Although more or less influenced by the Tang Dynasty dragon, the Champa element and the sine rhythm have brought a very special appearance. In the side view, it is the sine rhythm that gradually tapers towards the tail, making this sacred animal seem to gather a strong momentum to fly up on the background of rippling clouds as a supporting element. Not to mention the dragon crest transformed into a Bodhi leaf cross-section, symbolizing the Buddhist spirit in harmony with the Confucian ideals of the era, making this symbol truly unique.
Associate Professor, Dr. Trang Thanh Hien, Vietnam University of Fine Arts
The Dragon Guardian God and "Fashion Style"
We see the image of the dragon in many temple inscriptions of the Ly Dynasty. In which, the image of the dragon always appears as an enlightened legendary creature, a guardian deity. We can see the image of the dragon spraying lapis lazuli water in the Minh Tinh stele, or the nine dragons playing the lute in the Sung Thien Dien Linh stele as a kind of reflection of the theory of the dragon king spraying water when the Buddha was born. Thus, it can be seen that the fine arts of the Ly-Tran period (as Chu Quang Tru called it) is Buddhist fine arts. The image of the dragon in the culture of the Ly-Tran period, specifically on the architectural and sculptural works of this period, probably all carry Buddhist connotations.
The dragon became a "fashion style" of the entire Tran Dynasty, to the point that even commoners and servants in commoners' houses "crowded in" to like dragon tattoos, forcing the court to issue a law prohibiting it. The Tran Dynasty royal family, originally a martial arts people from the sea, tattooed a dragon on their thighs to always remember their ancestors' origins and avoid the "giao long" (crocodile, water dragon). The Tran Dynasty soldiers all had flower dragon tattoos (thai long) on their stomachs, backs, and thighs as a symbol of the heroic spirit of Dong A.
The above data shows that the dragon was a popular symbol of the Ly-Tran period. The dragon appeared in the palace, the towers of the royal palace. The dragon was used to name mountains, rivers, pagodas, and towers. The dragon was a good omen signaling the appearance of a holy king, or signaling victory over the enemy. The dragon rolled and flew on the dragon robe, dragon crown. The dragon entered the art of sculpture, architecture, and royal court performances. The dragon flooded into the artistic life of the people. However, those rich manifestations only remained in a few lines in historical documents.
Images such as twin dragons offering pearls, dragons attending to a Bodhi leaf, dragons on pillars in the model of Tu Di Dai - Cuu Son Bat Hai, dragons holding pearls, dragons flooding the material traces in Thang Long Imperial Citadel show that the dragon symbol not only appears in the space of Buddhist pagodas and towers but has become a prominent permanent element in royal culture and art.
A common feature of the dragon motif in the Ly Dynasty is the dragon holding a pearl. According to us, no previous research has decoded the meaning of this symbol. In fact, this motif comes from the dictionary "long nu hien chau" in Buddhist scriptures. The appearance of the motif "long nu hien chau" transforming into a male and becoming a Buddha can be considered a mark in terms of form showing the specific influence of Mahayana Buddhism on Dai Viet land during this period.
Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Trong Duong, Institute of Han Nom Studies
Dragon mark through the names "Long"
Research by Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Trong Duong, Institute of Han Nom Studies, shows that during the Ly Dynasty, the name "long" appeared frequently in steles and historical records. The dragon appeared in Truong Xuan Palace, causing the king to name the stupa in (Buddha) Do Son as Tuong Long. Dragons flying over the sea surface built a tower on Long Chuong Mountain (the splendor of dragons). Dragons rushing in flocks and teams across the river shape built a tower in Long Doi (dragon army). Dragons of Long Ty Mountain landed on the hands of Khai Minh Vuong, announcing the great victory against Chiem as a good omen for the wise king Ly Phat Ma (Ly Thai Tong). Dragons flew along the royal boat of King Ly Nhan Tong to the Long Thuy waterfall in the battle to suppress Ma Sa cave. Then Phi Long gate, Long Do pavilion, Hoi Long Palace, Long Thanh wall, then Long Tri in the royal palace to perform the dragon rolling on the mountain to wish for the longevity of Van Tue Nam Son...
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