The Importance of Dragons in Vietnamese Mythology

Dragons have been an important part of Vietnam’s mythology literally going all the way back to their origin story. It was believed that all of the Vietnamese people were descendants of a dragon and a fairy. Whether it was in Hanoi, Halong Bay, or the Ninh Binh province, we came across dragon mythology everywhere we visited. Dragons are considered to bring rain, which provides agricultural wealth and prosperity. As with other Asian cultures, they are also a symbol of power and were often used by their rulers throughout history. Throughout the years, the style of the dragon changed throughout the years in a combination of being snake-like to being cat-like with the latter being the one that we saw the most.

Depiction of the Legend of Hoan Kiem Lake
Dragon on an Urn in the Ngoc Son Temple
Colorful Dragon on Staircase
Common Dragon Style in Vietnam
Dragons on a Tapestry

Our first encounter with the legend of dragons in Vietnam was when we went to Ngoc Son Temple that is on an island in Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake gets its name from the legend of Emperor Lợi who received a magical sword from the king of the dragons in order to defeat the Chinese. After defeating the Chinese armies, a Golden Turtle God, Kim Qui, came to surface of the lake and asked Emperor Lợi to return the sword to the Dragon King, Long Vương, who had given it to him. So Emperor Lợi gave Kim Qui the sword and renamed the lake Ho Hoan Kiem, which means Lake of the Restored Sword or Lake of the Returned Sword.

Stone Tablet with a Dragon in Hao Lu
Colorful Dragon Statue in Perfume Pagoda
Dragon Heads on Carriage in Hao Lu
Ornate Dragon on a Temple Roof
Dragon Standing Guard

When we visited Hoa Lu, the capital of Vietnam dating back to the 10th century before it moved to Hanoi, we learned about how the images of dragons featured twelve humps to match the twelve months of the year. We saw an ancient tablet at one of the two temples that featured an ancient dragon. We saw dragons of various styles throughout the temples, especially on the temple roofs like we saw at many temples throughout the region.

Dragon Head Outside Temple Doors
Dragon Artwork
More Dragons on the Roof at Hao Lu
Protecting the Incense Sticks
Another Dragon on a Temple Staircase

Probably one of the most well known legends is that of Halong Bay. According to the legend, shortly after becoming a country, the people of Vietnam had to fight back an army of invaders coming from the sea. Fearing that would be defeated, the Jade Emperor called upon Mother Dragon and her children to help them beat back the invaders. Mother Dragon and her children stopped the invasion and then after burning them with their firery breath, they left their teeth behind as emeralds that have become the islands that we see today in order to protect them from future invasions. Some people even say that the islands look like the humps of dragons.

Halong Bay in Vietnam
Another Dragon on a Roof
Dragons on a Temple Altar
The Dragons That We Brought Home
Another View of Halong Bay in Vietnam

There are many other Vietnamese myths, but clearly being the descendants of dragons is certainly one of the most important. We really enjoyed seeing these various images carved and painted in the various places we visited. In fact, it was such a dominant feature of our trip, we even purchased a couple of small dragon statues to bring home with us.

The Unique Scenery of Hiking in Colorado

Besides the physical benefits of hiking, the main reason to go hiking is to enjoy the beauty of nature. Without a doubt, the scenery in the mountains of Colorado is absolutely stunning. It is fascinating to see the way that the geological forces have joined with the forces of rain, wind, and time to create such unique features in the landscape. People will often see patterns in everything that they look at as it is a natural way for our minds to make sense of the world. When you look at a trail map, it is not uncommon to see names given to natural landmarks as a way to identify them based upon what people feel it looks like. This is obviously true around the world as well and we enjoy looking at some of them and asking ourselves does it really look like the name that it has been given.

Kissing Camels in Garden of the Gods Park
Up Close, the Kissing Camels Are Not as Obvious
Hiking Towards Monument Rock
Monument Rock in Colorado
These Rocks May or May Not Have a Name
Paint Mines Interpretive Park near Colorado Springs

The Weathered Buildings of Panama City, Panama

Living in a tropical environment sounds like it would be an amazing experience, but with all of the rain, humidity, and wind, it is a constant battle to keep buildings from decaying. When we were in Panama City in Panama, we visited the historic old town area known as Casco Viejo and we spent several hours over a few days walking the different side streets of the town. Obviously the desire is to keep the historic buildings the same as their original construction, but the older materials are not as resistant to weather as new materials are. It makes for an interesting effect to see the buildings in different states of decay and there seemed to be ongoing repairs throughout the old town area.

Nature Taking Over
Colorful and Beautiful Despite the Decay
Fighting the Tropical Conditions
Contrasting the New and Old
Church Bell Tower
Unique and Interesting
No Roof or Window
Industrial Building
Not Much Remaining