In a room of over 60 square meters at 429 Lac Long Quan Street, Binh Thoi Ward ( Ho Chi Minh City), the scent of ink mingled with the aroma of handmade paper, creating a tranquil atmosphere. Amidst the unfinished calligraphy pieces and completed works adorning the walls, artisan Vo Duong quietly went from table to table, correcting the students' brushstrokes, adjusting the angle of their wrists, and guiding each stroke. While instructing, he slowly explained the importance of patience and maintaining a calm mind before putting pen to paper. “The calligraphy isn't the priority; the mind must be pure first,” he advised. The students, young and old alike, listened attentively, engrossed in each stroke in this peaceful space, where practicing calligraphy seemed to have become a journey of self-cultivation.
Practice calligraphy - cultivate the mind.
Born in the sunny and windy countryside of Quang Nam (now part of Da Nang city), during his summer vacation trips with his parents to Ho Chi Minh City, young Vo Duong was taken by his maternal grandfather, a passionate researcher of Han-Nom script and calligraphy, to watch masters demonstrate the art of writing.
“In the 1990s, I was only in my teens, too young to understand what calligraphy was. Honestly, I couldn't even read all the strokes in those calligraphic works,” recalled artist Vo Duong. However, the tranquil atmosphere of the ink and dó paper, along with the solemn posture of the calligrapher, quietly instilled in him a special connection with calligraphy.
In the 2000s, when he joined a calligraphy club at the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural Center, Vo Duong truly embarked on his calligraphy journey. “There wasn’t a formal program; everyone taught each other through experience, with those more experienced guiding those less so. It took me three years to create my first calligraphy works. At that time, my handwriting wasn’t very good, and I didn’t think I would pursue calligraphy as an art form,” he shared.
According to calligrapher Vo Duong, the recent widespread use of social media has brought calligraphy closer to young people. “More young people are passionate about calligraphy. They not only write characters but also know how to combine images to create complete works. Their techniques and aesthetic thinking have also improved compared to the previous generation,” he observed.
With a bright, gentle face, a perpetually soft smile, and a refined, scholarly demeanor, artisan Vo Duong possesses both a sense of approachability and the serene composure of someone who has experienced much. His eyes, with their deep, calm, and focused gaze, are kind and patient when instructing students; when bending over the paper, they are sharp and dedicated, pouring his heart and soul into each stroke.
In his writing posture, artisan Vo Duong demonstrates skill and grace. His wrist is relaxed, each stroke is slow yet decisive, revealing a harmonious blend of technique and emotion. His demeanor while writing seems detached from the surrounding noise, leaving only the writer, the pen, and the paper in the tranquil state of someone "practicing calligraphy - cultivating the mind."
“Technically, Vietnamese calligraphy is divided into seven basic stroke groups: horizontal, vertical, and diagonal strokes; light and flowing strokes; dotted and curved strokes; arched strokes; circular strokes; looped strokes; and hooked and slanted strokes. Therefore, before approaching complex techniques, learners need to spend time familiarizing themselves with brushes, paper, and ink, which are fundamental but indispensable elements,” shared artisan Vo Duong.
Calligraphy artist Vo Duong believes that most Vietnamese people are accustomed to using ballpoint pens, so their wrists are often stiff, lacking the necessary flexibility and agility. Therefore, those learning calligraphy must undergo a training period to adjust their wrist movement habits, learning to relax and control their brushstrokes naturally. He also emphasized that the most important factors in pursuing this art form are passion and patience, because the most difficult aspects of calligraphy are in the initial stages. For those who study seriously and have a clear direction, a fairly good level can be achieved after one to two years; but if one chases commercial gain and forgets the core values, they will fail. "Handwriting reflects character; without inspiration and emotion, it's difficult to touch people's hearts," said artist Vo Duong.
Bringing the "essence of national culture" to a wider audience.
Having dedicated over two decades to Vietnamese calligraphy, artisan Vo Duong holds five Vietnamese records, one Asian record, and one world record, along with the titles of Vietnamese Calligraphy Artisan and Treasure of Vietnamese Traditional Crafts. Most notably, he created a calligraphy book about the life of the late General Vo Nguyen Giap, comprising 103 pages symbolizing the 103 years of the General's life (1911-2013). This enormous work, weighing over 600 kg, was completed over two years (2017-2018) and is currently on display at the Quang Binh General Museum.
For many years, calligrapher Vo Duong has persistently brought calligraphy out of the familiar space of Tet holidays and into the school environment. On November 20th, 2025, he collaborated with Ho Chi Minh City University of Education to organize a calligraphy competition and exhibition, creating a strong ripple effect regarding the culture of writing and calligraphy among young people.
According to artisan Vo Duong, for Vietnamese calligraphy to develop sustainably, training needs to be standardized. Instructors should receive formal training and professional certification, thereby building trust among students and improving the overall quality of training.
According to him, as digital technology and AI develop, people are increasingly drawn to the art of calligraphy, to the soul of the writer – cultural and spiritual values that no machine can replace. With investment in content, form, and cultural value, each calligraphy work can become a bridge to introduce Vietnamese identity to the world, and be positioned as a cultural product, a distinctive gift of the country in international exchanges.
"Calligraphy is not just an art form, but also the soul of traditional Vietnamese culture. From that foundation, Vietnamese calligraphy can absolutely develop in a bilingual direction (Vietnamese-English or Vietnamese-French), as a way of telling cultural stories in an international language," emphasized artisan Vo Duong.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/nguoi-thoi-hon-cho-thu-phap-viet-20260202105539643.htm
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