According to myths, twelve animals were chosen by the Emperor of China to participate in a race to create what we refer to now as the Chinese Zodiac. One of the animals was the mighty dragon which everyone thought would come first because of its ability to fly. Much to the surprise of all, it came fifth–its reason being that it had to stop along the way to save some villagers who were in trouble.
The Year of the Dragon, then, is considered a year of prosperity, good fortune, and longevity, with luck guaranteed to come everyone’s way this Chinese New Year! And what better way to celebrate the prosperous year ahead than to do so with loved ones?
Our friends and family deserve something special and unique this Chinese New Year–something that will stand out from all the usual gifts we put on the table, something that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the Year of the Dragon, something that can last the test of time and bring nothing but good memories… something like Hennessy’s newest limited-edition bottles done in collaboration with Chinese artist Yang Yongliang!
Hennessy partnered with Yang Yongliang, the famed Master of Dragons, to release beautiful and exquisite V.S.O.P and X.O Limited Edition bottles that are both crafted to perfection. The Hennessy bottles were inspired by his digital artwork called “Dragon’s Odyssey” which portrays the dragon’s surging power and its glorious enduring legacy. “As the golden beast rises to embrace Spring, the vitality of earthly phenomena dazzle, radiating beyond boundaries of time and space,” the official description of the piece reads.
“I have been working on dragon themes for a while even before I was approached by Hennessy but to create a dragon that’s particularly close to the theme that Hennessy has, I had to think a lot about it,” Yang Yongliang shared with WhenInManila.com in an interview.
“I’ve also only worked on dragons that are not in water, not submerged in water. And this time [with the collaboration] it’s like the dragons are interacting heavily with the water. And the water, of course, was inspired by Hennessy and by the fact that dragons are historically water gods from East Asian history. A lot of young people don’t know that. Nowadays the dragon motif has become sort of like a decoration for Chinese restaurants. But no, historically it is something that’s very serious.”
“Dragon’s Odyssey” by Yang Yongliang
Yang Yongliang added that it was the first time too that he had to create both a physical and digital art piece for the collaboration, where the distinct languages of both influenced each other to create the final product.
“The dragon characters were designed particularly for the collaboration with Hennessy. And I felt like the dragons for Hennessy should not be the same as the academic art, like the dragons we see in traditional paintings. I spent a lot of time sculpting the dragon in 3D and also physically on the painting and then figuring out who they are because different dragons came with different personalities,” he said.
“It makes me the happiest seeing the result–these dragon characters I made that are now on the gift box and the bottle.”
Hennessy x Yang Yongliang is not only a great and illustrious drink to ring in the Chinese New Year, but it’s also an elegant piece of art with a captivating story that anyone will want to marvel at and keep with them for a long time.
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon and grab the exclusive #HennessyYangYongliang V.S.O.P and X.O Limited Editions at the upcoming Hennessy Chinese New Year Pop-Up Experience at Greenbelt 5 from January 19 to February 11! Visit https://ph.hennessy.com/ to learn more.
Not intended to be seen by people below the age of 18. Please drink responsibly.
#HennessyPH #HennessyYangYongliang #CelebrateWithHennessy
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