Hanoi

Vietnamese folk paintings, a natural tradition more and more interesting

April 2011

Buying traditional paintings used to be a simple task in the past when Hang Trong and Dong Ho paintings were sold on every street in Vietnam. The works would carry greetings of prosperity for the New Year or eulogize the five noble characteristics, namely Nhan (compassion), Nghia (righteousness), Le (respect), Tri (wisdom) and Tin (trust).

It was not just the wealthy who could afford these paintings and it became a custom for even poor people to buy them for house decoration during Tet. The craft of producing these folk paintings spread too many variants with their own brand names. Each kind was different in term of drawing, techniques, material, color processing, and carving.

Dong Ho and Hang Trong have been the two most enduring folk painting styles.

The stand-out feature of Dong Ho is use of diep paper. In the old days, artists obtained it from the bark of do trees that was ground, cooked and filtered to create thin sheets that were soft, light and durable called do paper, Some used seashells, which were than baked to create powders with exotic sparkling colors. Diep was mixed with glutinous rice and put on do paper to create diep paper.

Hang Trong paintings are more well-known for its line worship painting. The main colors used are beep blue, pink, and occasionally, red, orange, yellow and green.

The colors are mixed with sticky glue that makes Hang Trong paintings shiny and clear, an effect that cannot be achieved by using modern colors. Hang Trong painting comes on a range of styles like tranh to nu (portrait of beauty), tranh bon mua (four seasons), and ca chep hoa rong (carp turns into dragon).

Things have changed but most people still prefer paintings called nhi binh ( the image of dancing peacocks or carps looking at the moon) or four of them called tu binh (four flowers representing the seasons in the form apricot, orchard, daisy, and bamboo, or four girls singing and playing different instruments).

Some prefer paintings that depict scenes from Chinese literature. Rural families like paintings that narrate different kinds of stories. Outside the gate, there are often two paintings, one depicting the Talent God and the other depicting the Fortune God, wishing the family will achieve prosperity in the New Year. Some families hang painting the Vu Dinh-Thien At gods, who look tough with their red faces, slanting eyes and can sweep evil from households and their members.

In the part, most people only decorate their house with folk painting during Tet. But when a new spring arrived, they replaced the old paintings. Now people can buy folk paintings all year around. With time evolving, craftsmen have adjusted themselves and their techniques. Paintings are now made on better paper and frames.

Buying folk painting remains popular custom on Vietnam. People buy and collect them to maintain hundred years tradition. However, the number of craftsmen helping create part of the soul has dwindled. In Ho village only few families still maintain this tradition and there is only one craftsman left to do Hang Trong's paintings.

In Hanoi, craftsman Le Dinh Nghien has 30-40 craft boards for marking Hang Trong Painting and some ancient ones from his ancestors, He's the only person in the city who can make a complete Hang Trong painting.

Vietnam Floating Lives-Water Puppet (water puppetry)-most exclusive art form

April 2011, Vietnam

Of all the art forms that are unique to the country, perhaps the most exclusive one in Vietnam is water puppetry. The time when water puppetry first appeared is still debated among scholars who rely on different materials, from legends to historical documents and stone steles.

Some believe that water puppetry came into being in 225 B.C. Others assert the art appeared and evolved under the Ly Dynasty (1009-1225). The debate might never be resolved, but it is agreed that the villages of the Red River Delta that teem with lakes and ponds are the birthplace of water puppetry.

An inscription on the Sung Thien Linh stone stele built in Choi pagoda in Nam Ha province (now Long Doi Son pagoda in the northern province of Ha Nam) that dates back to 1121 contains a passage describing a water puppetry performance: " Let out a golden turtle bearing three mounts on the flicking water. Swimming in the gentle river, it displayed its shell and four legs. It glanced upon the bank before looking down at the image of the blue sky in the water. The hazardous cliffs were exposed in exultant melodies. A cave door opened, Gods and fairies appeared Flocks of precious birds sang and danced along with gentle animals."

The stele also reveals that water puppetry performances used to be one of the ceremonies held to celebrate the kings' longevity.

In the old days, the ponds and lakes where crowds gathered during festivals formed the stage for water puppet shows. Nowadays, the shows are performed in artificial ponds on special theatres.

The puppets are carved out of a special wood and coated with waterproof paints in different colors. Each puppet, less then a5o centimeters high, has its own posture. The posture, along with facial features, expressions and customs depend on the character. Each puppet can be said to be a work of art, a small sculpture that comes to life in the hands of the puppeteer.

The puppet has two parts: the body which is seen above the water and the base which is submerged under water. The latter is attached to a system that helps puppeteers, who stands waist-deep in the water, manipulate the puppets.

The water serves not only to hide the manipulating system but also to create an animated stage, puppets suddenly appear in the agitated water, travel, dance and even "fly" before sinking back into water.

Humor and symbolism are constant features in water puppetry. While the traditional repertoire consists of around 30 numbers, there are hundreds of modern ones that retell folk tales passed through generations, as well those that depict the daily lives of Vietnamese people.

Popular water puppetry performances are extracts from folk tales like Thach Sanh, Tam Cam (heroes' fighting invaders and developing country). The scenes of forming, fishing , festival events such as dragon dance, lion dance, wrestling, fights and buffalo-fights are also welcomed by the audience with warm applause.

Although it has moved from its mooring in rural areas to urban stages, and performances are usually held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there is mo gainsaying this unique art form is a tangible cultural heritage that belongs to the Vietnamese people as a whole.