Preserving Dao ethnic group's ancestral paintings.

Besides being sacred objects, the folk paintings of the Dao people in Quang Ninh also contain many unique cultural stories. However, the number of artisans who can still paint these paintings is very small, and the fact that many Dao families no longer maintain the tradition of worshipping these paintings has pushed this folk art form to the brink of extinction.

The system of figures in the ancestral altar paintings of the Dao Thanh Y people in Quang Ninh.

The most common folk paintings of the Dao people are devotional paintings, which occupy an important place in the religious life of the Dao ethnic group and have been preserved for many generations. The Dao people often use devotional paintings in coming-of-age ceremonies, New Year's dances, and other important rituals, creating a unique and distinctive cultural feature. In particular, paintings in communal activities often feature the image of Ban Vuong. This image is actually a dragon-dog, a five-colored dog with a dragon's body and twelve tails.

Although the characters are angels, the paintings are not surreal or fantastical, but rather painted in the style of folk art with realistic brushstrokes. The deities have different facial expressions but all possess an air of majesty. The dominant colors in the paintings are blue, red, purple, yellow, and white, which are concretized in every detail.

Besides their religious value, ancestral paintings also have an educational purpose, containing a vast storehouse of folk knowledge. The paintings embody the Dao people's beliefs from prehistoric times, connected to their origins and history, as well as the relationships between humans and the universe, deities, and their aspirations in life. Accordingly, there are three deities with unparalleled power who protect human life: Ngoc Thanh (the god who governs the heavens), Thuong Thanh (the god who governs the earthly realm), and Thai Thanh (the god who governs the underworld).

The paintings are family heirlooms, so the Dao people don't hang them in their homes every day; they only display them during rituals. The Dao believe that these ancestral paintings represent sacredness and are related to the safety and well-being of the family and lineage. Therefore, they perform rituals and carefully safeguard the paintings. The paintings brought by the shaman are shared by the entire community. During the initiation ceremony, many sets of ancestral paintings brought by the shamans are displayed.

Sometimes, a set of paintings can be decades old, even a century old. A set of ancestral paintings consists of many different paintings, meticulously crafted from the paper preparation to the selection of ink. According to artisan Hoang Van Tai from Dong Hai commune (Tien Yen district), some sets have as many as 12 paintings, while others have at least 3, and acquiring them requires a very elaborate ritual, so they are considered family treasures by families and clans.

Artisan Ha Van Tai, from Na Bac village, Dong Hai commune, Tien Yen district, is one of the very few people who still maintain the traditional folk painting craft of the Dao people.

The challenge for the painter lies in densely arranging the main deities within a narrow and elongated area. These include the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Venerable Lord, the Jade Purity, the Supreme Purity, the Holy Lord, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Thunder God, the Rakshasa, along with mortals, deities, Buddha, demons, and the underworld... The most elaborate paintings contain up to 120 main deities. These characters follow a social convention: those with greater power are depicted large and centrally positioned, while those with less power are depicted simply and in smaller sizes. In addition, there are elephants, horses, banners, and attendants.

Another skill of the artist is that within a single painting, they can depict multiple layers of space and time, reality and illusion, principal and secondary deities, demons and humans. Particularly noteworthy are devotional paintings that encompass all scenes, from the earth to the sky, from mountains and rivers to the sea, from hell to paradise, depending on the rich imagination of the folk artist.

In the past, the Dao people made their own dó paper for painting, but now it's more convenient as it's readily available on the market. Artisans use glutinous rice, finely chopped buffalo hide, and a few slices of forest plant, simmering them over low heat for about two days and two nights to create a binding paste. Then, they spread out the dó paper and apply the paste to each sheet. They continue this process, layering 10 to 15 sheets of dó paper together to create a thick sheet, which is then hung in a well-ventilated place to allow the adhesive to dry slowly.

Because of the meticulous craftsmanship, completing a set of ancestral paintings usually takes several months to a year. Naturally, the price of each set can reach tens of millions of dong. Not every family can afford to buy them. This is also one of the reasons why the number of ancestral paintings is dwindling. Demand has decreased, so the number of artisans can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Even more worrying is that many families have completely abandoned the tradition of worshipping with these paintings. Therefore, it is thought that the collection and preservation of ancestral paintings of the Dao people in particular, and folk paintings in Quang Ninh in general, needs more attention.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/bao-ton-tranh-tho-nguoi-dao-3313009.html