According to experts, the dragon is a cultural symbol, a spiritual product formed in the process of human perception of the natural and social world.

In the East, in the history of the development of nations, the image of the dragon is associated with meanings appropriate to the nature of the times such as: symbol of national origin, royalty, supernatural power, luck, prosperity.

In the Vietnamese mind, the dragon is also the origin of the nation with the legend of “the dragon’s children, the fairy’s grandchildren”. In agricultural thinking, the dragon is the god of rain that helps crops to be bountiful. The dragon is a sacred symbol.

Therefore, the dragon image is used a lot in palace architecture, pagodas, royal costumes and each dynasty has its own differences.

The seminar “Dragon Image in Oriental Aesthetics” is part of the thematic exhibition “Year of the Dragon tells the story of the dragon”, introducing more than 100 documents and artifacts to clarify the dragon symbol in the architecture of religious and belief buildings through the collection of the Hanoi Museum and the application of dragons in life - contemporary art expressed through craft village products and unique handicraft products.

The seminar had the participation of speakers: Dr. Tran Hau Yen The - School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts; Dr. Ngo Viet Hoan - University of Social Sciences and Humanities; Associate Professor Dr. Le Thoi Tan - Hanoi Capital University.

At the seminar, the speakers clarified the image of the dragon and its influence in Vietnamese cultural life. At the same time, they introduced the image of the Vietnamese dragon through stories, through decorative elements of religious architecture, beliefs, motifs, and household items.