In a captivating revelation, Hennessy showcased its limited edition Lunar New Year collection for the Year of the Dragon in 2024, a collaborative masterpiece with renowned Chinese artist Yang Yongliang. This marks the third installment of Lunar New Year celebrations by the esteemed French Cognac brand, following previous collaborations with Yan Pei-Ming and a global livestream event during the Year of the Tiger in 2022.
The latest collection showcases a series of limited-edition renditions, aligning with Maison Hennessy’s rallying cry, ‘Together we are unstoppable.’ Collaborating with digital technology artist Yongliang, the flagship bottles of VSOP, X.O, and Paradis undergo a transformative journey to encapsulate aspirations for the Year of the Dragon. VSOP is draped in scarlet red, symbolizing joy and luck; X.O is ensconced in shimmering gold, an embodiment of prosperity; and Paradis, a handcrafted marvel by Bernardaud in France, features a white porcelain decanter adorned with gold dragon artwork meticulously layered by hand. The exclusive Lunar New Year release of Paradis is presented in an oak gift box, limited to just 485 units.
Yongliang draws inspiration from a childhood memory—his grandmother’s gift of an antique coin bearing a dragon. Reflecting on this, he shares, “I wanted to share that memory in this Hennessy collaboration, and that’s why the dragon has a metallic surface, like a childhood memory of seeing a dragon on a coin.” The dragon holds profound significance in Chinese culture, symbolizing power, vitality, and good luck.
Having grown up hearing legendary tales about dragons in an old water town in Greater Shanghai, Yongliang infuses personal fondness into this collaboration. Trained in digital and three-dimensional art at the China Academy of Art in Shanghai, he employs contemporary techniques and traditional drawings to craft a captivating illusion of movement in the metallic dragons adorning the Paradis decanter.
Yongliang emphasizes the importance of collaborating with a brand that upholds respect for history and traditions, echoing his sentiment of resonance with Hennessy’s commitment to bridging the present and past. Through this limited-edition Lunar New Year collection, Hennessy and Yang Yongliang invite enthusiasts to delve into the rich historical and cultural contexts surrounding the symbol of the dragon.
