Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam
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The Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam was created on March 14 1886 in the ancient Vietnamese city of Hue, by Emperor Dong Khanh of the Imperial House of Annam, upon the "recommendation" of the President of France as a jointly awarded French colonial order. During this period (particularly during the era of Dong Khanh), Vietnam was ruled by the French. The Vietnamese Emperor had no authority of his own and had to have the authorization of the French government to give the order. As a symbolic gesture, Vietnamese officials who cooperated with the colonial government could receive it in the name of the King of Annam rather than the President of France.
The Order of the Dragon of Annam was "officially" created to acknowledge those who had performed great services to Vietnam. In fact, it became known among the Vietnamese as simply a badge for "collaborators", both military and civilians who aided in the French rule of Vietnam.
Throughout its entire history, the Order was also bestowed by the French Colonial Government. When French colonial rule over Indochina ended, the Order of the Dragon of Annam was abolished and replaced by the National Order of Vietnam which was later retained and revised by the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The ribbon of the Dragon of Annam was retained for this award, but it was (belatedly) recognized that a colonial order had no place in the new regime which was trying (unsuccessfully) to encourage Vietnamese popular support for the southern government. Throughout the history of the order it became too associated with the period of French rule. Even the name of "Annam" in the title of the order was a point of dishonor as the name comes from the old Chinese term for Vietnam, which means "the peaceful south".
Prince Bảo Vang of Vietnam, son of the Emperor Duy Tan, was appointed by the late Crown Prince Bao Long to serve as the Grand Master of the Order [1] in 2005, and currently serves under the authority of His Imperial Highness Prince Bao Thang of Vietnam, the Crown Prince's brother and successor as Head of the Imperial Nguyen Dynasty. The focus of the order is on humanitarian, educational, and cultural endeavours of the people of Vietnam.
Goal of the Order
The Order will henceforth focus on humanitarian, educational, and cultural endeavors rather than political goals. The Imperial Family wishes to remain out of the political fray and expects that Order will focus on efforts to aid the poor and disenfranchised people in Vietnam as well as outside the country, with particular emphasis given to children, the elderly, and the disabled. [2]
Note
A political organization called the Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam created by Mr. Nguyen Phuc Buu Chanh, a self-styled "prince" and "Regent of the Imperial Nguyen Dynasty", enjoys no recognition or sanction from Prince Bao Thang of Vietnam, Head of the Imperial Nguyen Dynasty, or affiliation with the Vietnamese Imperial Family in any form. See "World Orders of Knighthood and Merit" published by Burke's Peerage and Gentry (2006) for full details.