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M Y T H I C A L
C R E A T U R E S
DRAGON (RỒNG)
The dragon, the most important creature out of the four in Vietnamese Mythology is a combination of features from the crocodile, snake, cat, rat and bird. It symbolizes power, immortality and nobility. Legend says Lạc Long Quân, The king of the dragons married Âu Cơ, A fairy from the bird kingdom. Âu Cơ gave birth to 100 children (Unfortunately, no female) and the first-born son became the first Dynasty of Vietnam. That is the reason why the story is named 'Con Rồng Cháu Tiên' or 'Children of the dragon and grandchildren of the fairy'. For higher-ranking imperial use, dragons have 5 claws, four claws for royal dignitaries and 3 for commoners.
Hạ Long Bay, a heritage site in Northern Vietnam believed to be created by Dragons. Thăng Long, the former name of Hà Nội which also means 'Rising from a dragon'
TURTLE
(RÙA)
The turtle has its own special place in the Vietnamese culture and history. Unlike the dragon, the turtle symbolizes strength, longevity and intelligence. This creature was closely related in the 15th Century when a legendary fighter, Lê Lợi borrowed a sword that helped defeat the Chinese from a turtle that lived in the Jade Water Lake, modern day known as 'Hồ Gươm' (Sword Lake) or Hồ Hoàn Kiếm (Lake of the restored sword).
At the Temple of Literature located in Hà Nội, There are 82 figures of turtles marked with doctoral graduates that each tell a story of a pupil from the Lê Dynasty. It symbolizes how important education was to the Vietnamese people in the 15th Century.
PHOENIX
(PHƯỢNG HOÀNG)
Unlike the dragon, the phoenix represents the empress instead of the emperor. Vietnamese traditional beliefs say that the phoenix have the neck of a snake, the breast of a swallow, the back of a tortoise and a tail of a fish. Its song includes all five notes of the pentatonic musical scale and its feathers include the five fundamental colors: black, white, red, yellow and green. The phoenix symbolizes grace, nobility, virtue and pride. According to a Vietnamese myth, the phoenix burnt its nest and rose up from the ashes again and many believe that symbolizes rebirth, regeneration and survival. The phoenix disappears when in times of trouble and only appears only in calm and prosperous times, making it also symbolizes peace.
UNICORN
(KỲ LÂN)
The unicorn symbolizes mercy, peace and good fortune. A few also believe that it symbolizes intelligence and goodness, and this creature on appears on extremely special occasions. The unicorn is a combination of elements from the horse, the dragon and the buffalo. The Viets also believe that the unicorn is a very powerful and faithful mythical creature, therefore applicable for places of worship like temples and pagodas.
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