Dong Ho folk painting heritage was inscribed on UNESCO's list of urgent protection

UNESCO listed the Dong Ho folk painting craft as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.

According to information from the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), at 2:38 p.m. on December 9, local time, in New Delhi, India (ie 4:08 p.m. Hanoi time), the Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention adopted Decision No. 20.COM 7.a.1 to list the Dong Ho folk painting craft heritage on the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection at the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO (taking place from December 8 to 13, 2025).

This is the 17th heritage of Vietnam to be listed by UNESCO on the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. According to the 2003 Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the nomination dossier of the intangible cultural heritage of Dong Ho folk painting of Vietnam meets the criteria for inclusion in the List of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.

Accordingly, Dong Ho folk paintings are closely associated with important festivals such as Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival, as well as ancestor and deity worship rituals. Today, only a few families continue to maintain this craft, passing on knowledge and skills within the family and to apprentices through direct instruction and hands-on practice. Some stages such as pattern drawing and woodblock carving require intensive training and years of experience. Woodblocks are considered heirlooms, passed down through generations.

At the same time, the number of skilled artisans has decreased sharply (according to the nomination records, only a few households still maintain the profession), due to the young generation's lack of interest, the profession is difficult to ensure a livelihood, and the demand for woodblock prints in traditional ceremonies has decreased. The number of highly skilled and dedicated people pursuing the profession is too small to maintain the teaching and making of paintings, so the profession needs to be urgently protected.

According to VNA

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/di-san-tranh-dan-gian-dong-ho-duoc-unesco-ghi-vao-danh-sach-bao-ve-khan-cap-529114.html