"The meaningful object will remind me of the time I worked and lived in beautiful Vietnam," said the ambassador. 

The sculpture is not only a symbol of the grand anniversary, but it also "recalls cultural activities that will be held by the Italian Embassy to celebrate the event," he said.

A month-long cultural programme including several concerts and a fashion show will be organised.

"Four years living in China has helped me to distinguish the differences between this pure Vietnamese dragon from the Chinese designs. One could say the serpentine body of the bronze dragon symbolises all the difficulties we have had to overcome to be a part of the event." 

The ambassador expressed his desire to own one of the sophisticated carvings after he read an article about replicas of the flying dragon from the Ly dynasty. According to the designer of the statue, Le Dieu Huong, the item presents specific features of Vietnamese fine arts and culture.

A limited edition of 1,000 pure bronze dragon sculptures will be produced using traditional hand-made casting methods by artisans from the Dong Son Fine Arts Joint Stock Company. 

To create truly unique dragon sculptures, 2,000 rubies have been imported by the company to use as the dragons' eyes. 

Each statue will be numbered and come with a certificate stating its origin and value. The first and the 1,000^th sculptures will be auctioned off next month to raise funds for Agent Orange victims.