For the people of Dong Ho village (Song Ho commune, Thuan Thanh town, Bac Ninh ), making paintings used to be a way of life. Over time, the craft of making Dong Ho folk paintings is facing many challenges, notably the shrinking market for products and the risk of losing generations of artisans.
In recent years, with the investment and involvement of authorities, along with the enthusiasm and love for the profession of some artisans, Dong Ho painting village is expected to regain its inherent position and develop further.
The keepers of the village fire
According to old documents, the folk painting profession was formed in Dong Ho in the 16th century. By 1945, there were 17 families still pursuing the traditional painting profession, with countless painting workshops in the village.
But after 1945, under the domination and oppression of French colonialism, the craft of making Dong Ho folk paintings was in danger of disappearing. With no one coming to buy the paintings, households switched to making votive offerings.
Over time, now Dong Ho village has only two families making paintings: the family of artisan Nguyen Huu Sam (died in 2017) and the family of artisan Nguyen Dang Che.
With his passion and deep understanding of his hometown's painting craft, artisan Nguyen Dang Che collected and sought to buy back the engravings from families who had abandoned the craft, then repaired and restored them to save the ancient engravings from the hands of the fire god during the decline of the painting craft.
In 2006, the family of Artisan Nguyen Dang Che established the Nguyen Dang Che Dong Ho Folk Painting Private Enterprise.
Enterprises are facilitated to lease land to build facilities to preserve and develop Dong Ho folk paintings. Since then, the enterprise has built a spacious facility with a production area, product showroom, museum research area and traditional painting market as before, affirming its brand; it is a tourist destination attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to visit and learn about Dong Ho folk paintings every year.
This is also a place to experience traditional occupations for students of all levels from preschool, primary, secondary and high school in the province and outside the province to implement localeducation programs according to the reform policy of the education sector.
The family of artisan Nguyen Huu Sam now has the eldest son Nguyen Huu Hoa and his wife, the excellent artisan Nguyen Thi Oanh, and the second son Nguyen Huu Qua, who continue to maintain the painting profession. Although the income is not high, the family members are still attached to the work left by their ancestors.
Artisan Nguyen Huu Qua shared that not many people in the village are interested in painting anymore, because of the difficulty of making a living, many people have switched to making votive offerings. The income of those making paintings ranges from 6-10 million VND/month, which is not an attractive number, especially for young people.
"If it weren't for respecting my father's profession and his dedication, I probably wouldn't have followed this profession until now. What my father left behind is the pride of my family and my lineage. I will pass it on so that future generations will always remember it," Mr. Qua said.
Continuing the family tradition, Mr. Nguyen Huu Dao is the eldest son of artisan Nguyen Huu Qua, who is working hard day and night in his profession. Over 30 years old, having graduated from university with a major in economics, Mr. Dao also tried working in Hanoi with a good income, but after a while, encouraged by his father, Mr. Dao returned to his hometown with his family to maintain the painting profession and was awarded the title of artisan.
Mr. Dao shared that in the current context, getting rich from painting is not easy. He returned to his hometown with the desire to maintain his father's profession, maintain a proud family tradition and develop this job sustainably.
To preserve the craft, the most important thing is to have an output market, the paintings must be sold, and the painting profession must support the artisan and his family.
That is why Mr. Dao is applying technology platforms on social networks to promote the image of folk paintings. The burning desire of this young artist is to bring Dong Ho paintings to the international level.
Traditional features are gradually reviving
Experts say that reviving the craft of making Dong Ho paintings in contemporary life is a story that cannot be done overnight. Besides the dedication of artisans, the participation of functional agencies and local governments is contributing to the revival of the craft of making Dong Ho paintings.
In 2013, Dong Ho folk painting was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2017, Dong Ho painting began to be nationally profiled to propose UNESCO to include it in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent protection.
In March 2020, Vietnam submitted the dossier of "Dong Ho folk painting" to UNESCO for consideration to be included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and is expected to be considered at the 19th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2024.
To preserve and promote the value of the painting village, Bac Ninh province inaugurated the Dong Ho Folk Painting Conservation Center in early 2023. Through artifacts, images, diagrams, and quotes at the Center, viewers can grasp the origin of a famous traditional craft.
The Dong Ho Folk Painting Conservation Center operates every day of the week. Here, visitors can listen to tour guides introduce and learn about the craft of making Dong Ho folk paintings, and receive demonstrations of the craft and instructions on the painting making process from artisans and heritage keepers.
In addition, visitors can also participate in folk games, watch famous traditional folk art performances of Bac Ninh such as: Water puppetry, Quan Ho singing, Tuong, and military drums...
Also at this center, the exhibition space recreating the Dong Ho painting market has been organized and is expected to be an annual activity. The activity of organizing the exhibition space "Dong Ho Painting Market" is a practical work contributing to the protection and development of the craft of making Dong Ho folk paintings.
Mr. Nguyen Van Luyen, Deputy Director of the Center for Monuments Conservation and Tourism Promotion of Bac Ninh Province, shared that the old Tet painting market takes place at Dong Ho communal house on the 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st and 26th of the 12th lunar month every year. In each market session, thousands of paintings of all kinds are put on sale.
After 1945, along with the nation's resistance war against French colonialism, Dong Ho painting market was no longer held.
In order to recreate a precious cultural heritage of the homeland, the Center for Monuments Conservation and Tourism Promotion organizes the exhibition space "Dong Ho Painting Market."
This activity aims to recreate a precious cultural heritage of the homeland as well as a traditional space. This is also an opportunity to create a highlight for tourists, shaping the development of tourism products of Bac Ninh.
Along with that, recently, the family of artisan Nguyen Dang Che established the Dong Ho Folk Painting Museum, the only private museum of folk paintings in Vietnam.
Artisan Nguyen Dang Che shared that this is a place to preserve, maintain, promote and spread the quintessence of traditional crafts, hoping to bring visitors a full and interesting understanding of the processes of drawing, coloring and printing paintings of a folk painting genre that has existed for centuries in Vietnam./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/bac-ninh-nghe-tranh-dan-gian-dong-ho-truoc-nhung-van-hoi-phat-trien-moi-post956212.vnp
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