The northern province of Bac Ninh is compiling a record of the making of Dong Hofolk woodcut painting to submit it to the UNESCO for itsrecognition.
This was revealed by Tran Van Tuy, Chairman of the People’sCommittee of Bac Ninh, which has recently won the UNESCO’s recognition of itsQuan Ho (duet singing) as an intangible cultural masterpiece of thehumankind.
The making of Dong Ho folk woodcut painting was originatedfrom Dong Ho village, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninhprovince.
Traditionally, Dong Ho painting, which reflected a wide rangeof themes, especially good luck wishes, historical figures, and folk allegories,was part of the essentials in each Vietnamese family during the traditional Tet(lunar New Year) festival.
According to the villagers, the making of DongHo painting was dated back to the 11th century during the reign of the Lydynasty. However, researchers said the craft began under the rule of the Ledynasty.
Making the painting, Dong Ho craftsmen used raw materialsfrom nature, including making sheets of printing papers from bark of “do” treeand creating colours from earth, burnt bamboo leaves, sea shell.
Printingthe picture, they used the woodblock which is applied with paint and pressed iton a sheet of paper like a stamp. The process was repeated with differentcolours until the craftsman felt satisfied with the painting.
Thefinished painting was later covered with a layer of rice paste to strengthen thedurability of its illustration and colours and afterwards dried under thesun.
As the traditional craft has faded with time, efforts have been madeto preserve it, with Nguyễn Đăng Chế, one of the few remaining experiencedcraftsmen of the village establishing his own Dong Ho painting centre in 2008./.
This was revealed by Tran Van Tuy, Chairman of the People’sCommittee of Bac Ninh, which has recently won the UNESCO’s recognition of itsQuan Ho (duet singing) as an intangible cultural masterpiece of thehumankind.
The making of Dong Ho folk woodcut painting was originatedfrom Dong Ho village, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninhprovince.
Traditionally, Dong Ho painting, which reflected a wide rangeof themes, especially good luck wishes, historical figures, and folk allegories,was part of the essentials in each Vietnamese family during the traditional Tet(lunar New Year) festival.
According to the villagers, the making of DongHo painting was dated back to the 11th century during the reign of the Lydynasty. However, researchers said the craft began under the rule of the Ledynasty.
Making the painting, Dong Ho craftsmen used raw materialsfrom nature, including making sheets of printing papers from bark of “do” treeand creating colours from earth, burnt bamboo leaves, sea shell.
Printingthe picture, they used the woodblock which is applied with paint and pressed iton a sheet of paper like a stamp. The process was repeated with differentcolours until the craftsman felt satisfied with the painting.
Thefinished painting was later covered with a layer of rice paste to strengthen thedurability of its illustration and colours and afterwards dried under thesun.
As the traditional craft has faded with time, efforts have been madeto preserve it, with Nguyễn Đăng Chế, one of the few remaining experiencedcraftsmen of the village establishing his own Dong Ho painting centre in 2008./.
