A pair of giant dragon mascots is set up to welcome Year of the Dragon

One of the two dragon heads has just been erected

Over the past few days, the pair of dragons have been being assembled and erected, “waking up” the curiosity and excitement among passersby. As of the evening of January 30, the process of connecting the two dragons was still underway urgently. The pair of dragons are designed by a company based in Hanoi to serve the spring festival of 2024 with the theme “The essence of heaven and earth, transformation to breakthrough”.

According to the design unit, to reach the appearance of these dragons, they have diligently researched the dragon models on various materials and landmarks in Hue, as well as taken consultancy and worked with experts and historians in the province. Although the pair of “two dragons flanking the moon” are inspired and still stays true to the original prototype, it also fully expresses the creativity and freshness in its design.

Also, according to the design team, Hue is the land of dragons so they were so careful in researching the dragon shapes in this area. The two dragons are arranged symmetrically along a central axis with a structure characterized by gentle, graceful rhythms and lively sinuous forms. This style of decoration in the imperial court is often used in significant constructions, such as in the middle of roof peaks to create majesty and to clearly demonstrate the world views and the outlook on life of the monarchs.

The design team also conceived ideas and meticulously researched materials to both express the graceful lines of the dragon’s body and incorporate the distinctive features of Hue’s imperial culture. It's known that each dragon is approximately 30 meters long.

Following are some photos taken by Thua Thien Hue Online:

From the initial sketches, the design unit sought out materials for the dragon’s body that met both technical and artistic requirements

The dragon scales are emulated the luu ly roof tiles of Hue, a type of tile commonly used for palace buildings, royal tombs, and temples

To depict the curves and create the overall elongated shape of the dragon’s body towards the tail, the scales have to be cut, measured, and adjusted by hand

Each dragon is approximately 30 meters long, it is linked together by multiple sections constructed with sturdy iron frames

The assembly of the entire two dragons is scheduled to be completed before the 24th day of the lunar December to serve the spring festival and tourists’ sightseeing

The form of one of the two dragons has basically been completed