The Importance of Dragons in Vietnamese Mythology

On February 5, 2021February 5, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge, Vietnam10 Comments

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

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.

Colorful Dragon Statue in Perfume Pagoda

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.

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.

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 Weathered Buildings of Panama City, Panama

On January 15, 2021January 15, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Central America, Photo Challenge4 Comments

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.

Colorful and Beautiful Despite the Decay

Enjoying Festive Christmas Trees During Our Travels

On December 21, 2020December 21, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Europe, North America, Photo Challenge8 Comments

Although we weren’t able to travel over the holidays this year, it is something that we would do quite often. It is quite common to find a festive Christmas tree lit up in the center of town for everyone to enjoy. Sometimes they are located inside of the local church or even in the lobby of the hotels. We have seen many different trees in various countries and cities, all uniquely different. We certainly couldn’t choose a favorite since each is special in its own way. Although we certainly enjoy being at home with our own decorations and tree with ornaments that we’ve collected over the years, we do miss traveling this year and seeing the traditions of another country. Here are a few of our favorite trees that we have seen throughout our travels.