Artists perform ca tru (ceremonial singing) (Photo: VNA) Tet Viet Tet Pho 2023 (Vietnamese Tet Street Tet) will be showcased at venuesincluding Kim Ngan Communal House at 42-44 Hang Bac street, Heritage House at87 Ma May street and Old Quarter Culture Exchange Centre at 50 Dao Duy Tu.
Visitors can see traditional decorations, art performances, calligraphy,painting and drawing, and important rituals during Tet.
“Our club has co-operated with the Old Quarter Management Board to host Tetactivities for four years so far,” Nguyen Duc Binh, Head of Dinh Lang Viet Club,told Viet Nam News. “We have mobilised our members to join in variousactivities such as worship ceremonies, processions, erecting cay neu (Tet pole)and perform arts.
The task of popularising traditional culture can be implemented easily during Tetas people’s minds at that time are focused on their roots, ancestors andtradition, they said.
Binh said Tet is when people reunite with their families and the club membersalso gather in Hanoi from various regions to join in Tet activities.
“This year, the activities are organised earlier than in previous years, when Tettook place after the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month. At that time, peoplefrom afar couldn't come to Hanoi. This year, many more people from afar canjoin in,” he said.
“The pandemic has been controlled, so this year, the organisers want tointroduce the Tet customs of the three regions. People from the southernmostprovince of Bac Lieu, the northwestern region and the central region flock herefor Tet,” he said.
Le Viet Dung, who leads an art troupe from But village in the central provinceof Thanh Hoa, could not hide his pride to perform at the event.
“We perform folk songs and dances of the Thai ethnic minority group, whichbears significant features of the Thai group in the western region,” he said.“This is the first time we have been invited to perform at a Tet event indowntown Hanoi. I feel very happy to join in at Tet, where the traditionalcultural features of all regions are reflected including those of the Thaiethnic group. At the same time, I feel proud as among many localities andethnic groups, the Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board invited the art troupefrom But Village.”
Besides folk singing and dancing, visitors can see artisans draw calligraphyand make traditional paintings, too.
“Today, I display my paintings of the Kim Hoang and Hang Trong genres and theworship paintings of ethnic groups,” said folk painting artisan Nam Chi.
Chi said each genre has special features. Hang Trong painting has specialcolours. In Kim Hoang genre, the background of the paper is treated in redbefore printing the painting. That’s why it is also called the red paintinggenre. Worship paintings of ethnic minority groups are often drawn in longstrips of paper of some 50cm by 100cm.
“The youth now know less about folk paintings. Having a space for traditionalpaintings in Tet is a good way to let more people know about folk art,” hesaid.
Calligrapher Le Thanh Liem said he draws lucky characters for people at thisevent.
“Vietnamese people like calligraphy work to hang at home as decorations during Tet,”he said. “Popular characters are An (Peace), Phuc (Happiness), Loc (Wealth), Tho(Longevity), Tai (Talent), Dang Khoa (Success). People want the calligraphyworks to bring them luck and remind them to overcome difficulties, to encouragethem to study harder. The works are like reminder for people, not anythingmagical.”
Liem said the characters are of Han, Nom and Vietnamese Romanised letters drawnin paper with Chinese ink.
Ten-year-old Hoang Thi Minh An from Hai Phong city accompanied her dad to theevent.
“Normally, I also perform ca trù like my dad,” she said. “I feel happy andexcited to join in Tet Viet activities as I can make a small contribution topreserve cultural heritage.”
An said she wanted to share her passion and encourage her friends to learn catru melodies.
“I teach my friends simple songs that I know,” she said.
Luciano Ammazzini, a tourist from Italy, said he was impressed with thedecorations and activities here.
“This is my last day here,” he said. “Next time, I will return in Tet time toexperience a lunar new year in Vietnam.”
People can see traditional food as offerings to ancestors in Heritage House on MaMay street, where artisans also trim narcissus bulbs. The flowers will comeinto full bloom during Tet. Visitors can also make banh chung (square stickyrice cake) at the house.
At the Culture & Arts Centre at 22 Hang Buom street, a photo exhibitionthemed From Heritage to Contemporary Time and traditional music performanceswill take place everyday.
The Ho Guom Information Culture Centre at No. 2 Le Thai To street will host acontest for children with the theme of the cat and display ceramic works ofcats by artist Nguyen Van Toan and a virtual 3D technology space featuring artworks.
Phung Hung Graffiti Street will gather artisans of traditional handicrafts suchas folk painting, calligraphy, ceramics, rattan wares, clay figurines, goodsand food for Tet. Art shows will be performed there on the weekend.
The Tet Viry Tet Phố 2023 will take place until January 28, while the activitieson Phung Hung street will end on January 20./.
VNA
