A stone seal used by King Tu Duc (Photo: VNA) Thua Thien-Hue (VNS/VNA) - More than 80 precious items carved with dragons andphoenixes are on display in the former imperial capital city of Hue tocelebrate 25 years since UNESCO awarded the title of World Heritage Site to thecomplex of monuments in the city.
The exhibits includethose borrowed from the Vietnam Museum of National History in Hanoi and severalowned by the Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities.
The exhibition is takingplace at the royal antiquities museum at 3 Le Truc Street in Hue, starting on September14 and ending on December 5. Tickets can be purchased in the city.
Phan Thanh Hai, Directorof the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre - a local government body managingrelics built by the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) in the city - said all displayeditems were from the dynasty.
Hai added that this yearmarks 25 years since UNESCO recognised the dynasty’s relic system as a worldcultural heritage and 15 years since the UN cultural body listed nha nhac (Hueroyal court music) as an intangible heritage of humanity.
The displayed items wereused in dressing, daily use and administration by kings and other royalmembers. They are made of rare, precious materials including gold, silver andprecious stones.
Every item in theexhibition is engraved with symbols of dragons or phoenixes, using techniquesof carving or embossment.
According toresearchers, dragons and phoenixes were among the four sacred animals inVietnamese spiritual culture, along with kylins and turtles. The use of dragonsand phoenixes on the royal items were to show the power of the monarchy.
Dragons are present onall items designed for males and are rarely seen on those for females.Phoenixes were popular for female items and sometimes carved on the male itemsas well.-VNS/VNA
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