Displaying unique works about the Four Sacred Animals at Hue heritage site

On the afternoon of August 1, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center in collaboration with Hue University of Arts opened the exhibition "Fine Arts and Heritage: Images of the Four Sacred Animals through Visual Arts".

The exhibition was held at the exhibition space on the 2nd floor of Kien Trung Palace (Hue Imperial City), attracting a large number of public and tourists to visit.

46 works by artists, lecturers and students were created in the spirit of inheriting tradition but at the same time expanding the ability to express through contemporary visual language.

The image of the Four Sacred Animals - Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, Phoenix, is expressed in many new materials and forms: painting, graphics, sculpture, installation art...

The expressiveness, symbolism and cultural identity of the Four Sacred Animals are revealed and renewed in the interaction between art and heritage.

Displaying unique works about the Four Sacred Animals at Hue heritage site - photo 2 — "Time" work in lacquer by Tran Thi Thi Linh. Photo: S.THUY

According to Mr. Hoang Viet Trung, Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, in Oriental aesthetics, the image of the Four Sacred Animals has symbolic meaning, associated with philosophical, religious and social concepts.

In the cultural heritage of Hue royal court, the Four Sacred Animals are a familiar image but rich and varied in expression, from architectural decoration - sculpture related to traditional crafts such as: masonry, enamel, pottery, bronze casting, inlay, wood carving, lacquer, embroidery, weaving...

This exhibition is not only an art event but also an opportunity to introduce, research and disseminate traditional cultural heritage values through the creative lens of contemporary art.

The Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center shared: the cooperation between an art research and training unit and a heritage conservation agency has been showing positive effects in spreading love for traditional culture; at the same time, affirming the role of art in the work of preserving and promoting heritage values.

The exhibition is open to visitors from now until August 30, 2025.