2012 The Year of the Dragon

By Shim Hyun-chul

The dragon symbolizes courage, hope and soaring to new heights in Korean culture. This imaginary animal was a sign of dignity and authority of the royal family during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Among commoners, images of dragons appeared on furniture, in paintings and porcelain, as they were believed to protect from misfortune.

The year 2012 is the Year of the Dragon and the National Folk Museum holds "Special Exhibition: The Year of the Dragon" through Feb. 27. The exhibition is themed “dragon and dream,” wishing everyone good luck for the New Year.

In the palace, the dragon was the emblem of the king. The king wore royal robes with dragon designs and even the king's liquor jar was dragon-patterned. Paintings depicting legends of dragons are also on display. "Flag for Farmers' Music from Gimje" shows the dragon was considered as a god of water among commoners.

In the last section, students from special education classes of Nowon Middle School and Baekwoon Middle School created a dragon sculpture.

For more information, visit www.nfm.go.kr.