Items showcased at the Hanoi Museum, Pham Hung Street were some famous types of folk paintings such as Dong Ho and Hang Trong. Besides, the styles include spiritual paintings, which are burned after worship ceremonies to pray for the dead or to pray for health, like Sinh Village, Southern Do The, and Thap Vat paintings. Others are worship paintings, which carry mysterious spiritual meanings, or sometimes act as a kind of amulet or sacred figure in worshiping ceremonies, for example, the royal glass paintings of Hue and the Southern Region, fabric and scroll fabric paintings, and worship paintings from the mountain regions. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa, Director of the Hanoi Ceramic Museum said: “This exhibition displays more than 200 folk paintings of twelve different styles taken from the collection of the Hanoi Museum, the Hanoi Ceramic Museum, and some other private collectors. The exhibit not only highlights the artistic value of the paintings, but also focuses on honoring traditional Vietnamese customs and habits related to each painting genre.” 

Almost all the traditional folk paintings displayed at the exhibit are on the verge of extinction, as demand for them has decreased(Source: dulichvn.org)

Almost all the traditional folk paintings displayed at the exhibit are on the verge of extinction, as demand for them has decreased. However, thanks to the non-stop efforts of researchers on the restoration of the paintings, those styles facing the risk of dying out now are beginning to revive. Thu Hoa said: “The paintings and the related documents are no longer available, especially for some rare genres like Kim Hoang and plain worship paintings, or as the case of fabric and scroll fabric paintings, which are now all made by only one artisan. After collecting the works, we need to study more about the traditional customs and spiritual beliefs behind each painting, which takes lots of time and effort. We hope that the art lovers coming to the exhibit will deepen their understanding of our ancestors’ habits and customs and nurture their love for the country.” 

The exhibit not only highlights the artistic value of the paintings, but also focuses on honoring traditional Vietnamese customs and habits related to each painting genre (Source: nguoiviet.net.vn)

According to Nguyen Tien Da, Director of the Hanoi Museum, the traditional folklore paintings exhibit the diversified spiritual life of the Vietnamese people in the past, so they are meaningful and ought to be preserved for future generations. Da said: “As the country develops, many types of traditional folk arts are in decline or at risk of being lost. However, even if the heyday of the folklore paintings has passed, the precious value of each painting genre hasn’t faded away with time; they will forever be part of the nation’s cultural heritage.”

The exhibit attracts Vietnamese and foreigners alike  (Source: thoidai.com)

 Visitors enjoyed the famous types of folk paintings in Vietnam. Vu Dong Thanh is a student from the Culture and Heritage Department of Hanoi Culture University. He said: “I was impressed by the diverse paintings from the very first moment I entered the gallery. The paintings brought me a feeling of a spiritual awakening, especially the worship ones. During the event, I also had the chance to observe the artisans performing the basic techniques of several folklore paintings, which was very attractive.”

Thanks to the non-stop efforts of researchers on the restoration of the paintings, those styles facing the risk of dying out now are beginning to revive (Source: cand.com)

Another visitor, Bruce Beebe, a retired teacher from California, the US, said: “Oh my. It’s so spectacular. I feel very energy when being here. Each painting has its own message and I like it, for example, we have glass over here, and we have many paintings over there. So there’re many different ways of producing ideas for people to understand. It’s amazing.”

During the event, visitors also had the chance to observe the artisans performing the basic techniques of several folklore paintings, which was very attractive  (Source: baomoi.com)

Earlier, along with the exhibit’s opening ceremony, the Hanoi Museum also hosted a seminar to discuss ways to preserve and promote the traditional folklore paintings as well as the traditional values in general. It’s hoped that the seminar, which saw the participation of many famous researchers and specialists nationwide, will draw a new roadmap for the traditional paintings’ restoration process. The exhibition will run at Hanoi Museum at Pham Hung Road until 2017.