Patterns Symbols in Auspicious Animal Decorate in the Imperial City of Hue, Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Abstract

The Imperial City of Hue, the capital city of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), was the last dynasty in the feudal era that ruled Vietnam for 143 years. Emperor Gia Long ascended the throne ruling the Kingdom of Vietnam, choosing Hue as the capital city and building the Imperial City of Hue for the Nguyen Dynasty. The construction took 27 years. Emperor Gia Long adopted a system of governance and Confucian concepts to rule Vietnam. The emperor was likened to the Son of Heaven and sent to rule the human world. It was then necessary to create a living space that resembled heaven. The Imperial City of Hue was modeled after the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, to ensure that the royal palaces of the Imperial City of Hue were as marvelous as the Chinese Forbidden City. It also reflects the royal authority of the Vietnamese monarchy following the Chinese monarchy. According to the Cultural Diffusion theory, Vietnam has been culturally influenced by China through the architecture of the Imperial City of Hue, which emphasizes the uniqueness of its important strategic city location; suitable topographic features containing rivers, mountains, and sea as natural defenses against external invasions, and the uniqueness of the Vietnamese capital and the Imperial City of Hue, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty.