Vietnam— Tattoo scenes & cities

A legend reported by the National Museum of Vietnamese History credits the eldest son of Lac Long Quan, King Hung, with teaching people to tattoo dragons on their chests, bellies and thighs to protect themselves from water monsters. It is a mythical tale, not a dated fact.

Today, a 2016 joint circular excludes from military service citizens with certain tattoos: designs deemed offensive, or tattoos that are visible or very large. Because some young people used this to avoid conscription, the Ministry of National Defense announced in 2024 that it was studying a revision. No legal provision prohibits getting a tattoo.