Spring in Vietnam is not only a season of renewal and reunion, but also a time for refined cultural traditions. Among the most cherished Lunar New Year pastimes, as reflected in the old saying “First calligraphy, second paintings, third ceramics, fourth woodcraft,” calligraphy holds a special place in Vietnamese culture.
The first days of the Lunar New Year are sacred to the Vietnamese people, the time for everyone to make wishes. During this time, a number of traditional meaningful customs are practised and calligraphy hanging is one of the most beautiful ones. The custom does not only reflect Vietnamese people’s respect for knowledge but helps preserve a time-honoured activity as well. The meaningful characters written on special papers have become the symbol of good luck, worshipping objects for thousands of years in Vietnam.
In recent years, modern Vietnamese calligraphy has started to thrive in various regions throughout the country, evolving into a movement with robust development.
Nearly 800 works of calligraphy integrated with light technology are on display in an exhibition that is taking place at the special national relic, the Temple of Literature in Hanoi.
An event called “Spring of Love” was organised by the General Union of Vietnamese in Brussels (UGVB) on February 11 (the second day of the first lunar month) on the occasion of the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, offering an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese in the country to get together and honour their common root.
Acquiring calligraphic words has become one of the most beautiful customs among Vietnamese people during the Tet holidays, as these words symbolise wishes for good fortune, peace, and prosperity. To uphold this cultural beauty, one overseas Vietnamese in Australia has been diligently working to introduce calligraphy to international friends and the younger Vietnamese generation abroad.
A calligraphy exhibition themed “Nét đan thanh” is underway at the Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi as part of activities to celebrate Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23).
A book festival was held in Moscow on May 1 in response to the Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day (April 21), giving a chance for the Vietnamese community in Russia to meet, exchange books and promote the reading culture.
The 2nd Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week, a series of tourism-sport-music events for domestic and foreign visitors, is underway in the southern metropolis.
Calligraphy is an ancient art form from the East, while graffiti represents a young cultural movement imported from the West and largely associated with hip-hop culture in Vietnam. An exhibition named “Dialogue between Calligraphy and Graffiti” held at Hanoi’s Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) has brought audiences a new experience in creative arts.
The Tet holiday is the most important and most anticipated of the year in Vietnam. A number of meaningful traditional customs are practiced at this time, with collecting calligraphy being among the most beautiful.
The Tet holiday is the most important and most anticipated of the year in Vietnam. A number of meaningful traditional customs are practiced at this time, with collecting calligraphy being among the most beautiful.
The eighth Hue Traditional Craft Festival, scheduled to take place from April 26 to May 5, will see the participation of 70 foreign artisans, according to Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hue ancient capital city Nguyen Van Thanh.
Thousands of people have been flocking to the Temple of Literature in downtown Hanoi to ask for calligraphy created by scholars to hang at home for good luck.
