The palladium and emblem of Vietnam.

While in Western mythology the dragon is an evil beast, and best illustrated by the story of St George and the dragon, in the East--especially in mainland Asia --it has opposite significance. The dragon is the totem, the palladium and emblem of Vietnam. It is the symbol of man in general, just as the woman is represented by the phoenix, another of the four mythical animals of the land. When a dragon and phoenix are shown together either in cloth designs or carvings, a marriage is represented.

According to popular belief the dragon is a genie that preside over the creation of meteors and other cosmic activities. In addition, he is often considered to be god of the waters who lives in the sea and rivers.

According to the Chinese tradition still prevalent in Vietnam, the has the horns of deer, head of camel, belly of a crocodile, scale of a fish and buffalo like hair. Its hearing ability is in its horns, rather than in its ears. The neck of serpent, eyes of a demon and claws of an eagle complete the strange figure.

There are many legends about the dragon, with some being used to explain the origin of the Vietnamese people. One of these tells the story of a Vietnamese king named Lac-long Quang (circa 2,500 BC) of the dragon race who kidnapped the wife of his cousin the Chinese king De-Lai and got 100 eggs. From these came 100 boys -- 50 of these, taking after their father, became water genial; the other 50 took after their mother and became land dwellers. One of the latter founded the hung-Vurong dynasty, but its kings were still more at home at the bottom of the rivers than in their places.

While Vietnam had a dynasty and from time to time the ruler died, the Vietnamese did not say "The King is dead” but rather, "The dragon has gone up into the upper regions,"

Source from: The Religious of South Vietnam in Faith and fact.

What is Religion ?

Different people think different things about religion and spirituality. As understood in India,
what religion is can be put, in the words of Swami Vivekananda, as below.
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Each soul is potentially divine.

The goal is to manifest this Divinity within, by controlling nature, external and internal.

Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy -- by one, or more, or all of these
and BE FREE.This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or
forms are but secondary details.
(From commentary on Patanjali Yoga Sutras II.25)
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Explanation of terms ...

soul
A soul is a self-conscious being with a past and a present. A soul might or might not have a physical body.

divine
By divine, we mean the following --

* Absolute (Eternal) Existence
* Absolute Knowledge
* Absolute Bliss
* Absolute Freedom

nature
Nature is anything other than the Self. Anything objectifiable -- anything which can be referred to
as "This is (my) _____" is a part of Nature. This includes the physical universe, the body, the mind, the intellect, the ego.

external and internal
The mind, intellect and ego are internal. The body and the physical universe are external.

control
To "control" is to "be free from the influence of".

work
This constitutes Karma Yoga -- the path of selfless work.

Prerequisite -- capacity to work
Quality to be developed -- selflessness
Pitfall -- attachment to results

worship
This constitutes Bhakti Yoga -- the path of devotion.

Prerequisite -- capacity to feel emotionally
Quality to be developed -- control of emotions
Pitfall -- sentimentalism

psychic control
This constitutes Raja Yoga -- the path of concentration.

Prerequisite -- concentration of mind
Quality to be developed -- will power
Pitfall -- supernatural powers

philosophy
This constitutes Jnana Yoga -- the path of knowledge.

Prerequisite -- sharp intellect
Quality to be developed -- self-enquiry
Pitfall -- dry logic (intellectual gymnastics)

... by one or more, or all of these ...
The core of every religion is a combination of the four paths. Depending on the capability of the person,
he/she can pick up one or more of them.

Be Free
This is the goal -- to be free from all attachments.

Doctrines
Every religion has a "model" of man, world and God. These are the assumptions on which the practical
religion is based on.

Dogmas
Every religion has a set of beliefs. It is a place to start. Later, at advanced stages, all beliefs have to be
understood. Dogmas are only for beginners.

Rituals
Every religion has a set of rituals and regulations to be followed. These are mainly to develop the
prerequisites and the desired qualities for a person following the particular path; no further.

Books
Almost every well established religion has a book. These are guidelines given by people who have
tread the path before.

Temples
These are places exclusively meant for practice of the religion. These are aids to put the person into
the grove. Practice of religion must carried out everywhere.

Forms
These are aids for the mind to concentrate on the goal. Forms are meant to remind the person of God;
no further.

In the words of Swami Vivekananda,
Religion is the Eternal Relationship between the Eternal Soul and the Eternal God.