Vietnamese calligraphy

Calligraphy, from traditional to modern, has in itself the artistic value of a specific cultural form. It is the soul, the life of the letters. Through the ups and downs of history, calligraphy has been preserved and developed by generations of Vietnamese people.

Vietnamese calligraphy (Vietnamese calligraphy) appeared in the 1930s, the period when the Vietnamese script (Latin script) became more popular than Chinese and Nom scripts in Vietnam. Poet Dong Ho (1906 - 1969) is considered the "ancestor" of this type of calligraphy.

War and the country's difficult circumstances caused the flow of Vietnamese calligraphy to stagnate and only flourish again in the last ten years or so. Many calligraphy clubs and classes were opened in provinces and cities; exhibitions attracted a large public interest.

Principal Nguyen Thanh Thuy (striped shirt) and teachers of Nguyen Tat Thanh Secondary and High School participated in calligraphy at the Provincial Museum.

The use of a product of Eastern culture, a brush, to write Latin (national language) - a product of Western culture, shows that calligraphy has a cultural exchange and integration between East and West. Vietnamese people are reminded of the image of the scholar who has long been absent, reading and understanding Vietnamese calligraphy. That is an affirmation of a unique cultural product, rich in national identity but also suitable for the times.

Unlike the art of Chinese calligraphy, Vietnamese calligraphy is not limited to a framework but is more free and innovative, applied to many different areas of life such as: fashion design, architecture, advertising...; expressed on a variety of materials: paper, wood, stone, fruit, bamboo paintings, mother-of-pearl inlay, ceramics... At the beginning of the year, calligraphy is often expressed on red paper with pre-printed spring motifs, the content is often folk songs, proverbs, teachings of famous people, lyrical poems. Many families choose to hang calligraphy paintings as a form of decoration, creating harmony for the house, at the same time expressing contemplation on life, philosophies of life, human enlightenment or educational, praying for luck in the family, in business.

Vietnamese calligraphy is not only an elegant hobby, helping people to cultivate their minds, train their character, and find balance in modern life, but also becomes an art form that honors the Vietnamese language. Young people not only learn how to write calligraphy in the traditional way, but also boldly experiment with new styles, combining them with other art forms such as painting and music , creating unique works that bear a strong personal mark. That is also the way for young people to connect with their roots, find the good traditional values ​​of the nation, and love and appreciate the cultural values ​​that their ancestors have worked hard to cultivate.

Nowadays, calligraphy in the national language has become popular throughout the country in general and in Ha Nam province in particular. With talent and passion, calligraphy lovers in the province always seek and create works, thereby contributing to educating people towards the values ​​of truth - goodness - beauty. In early spring, the Provincial Museum often organizes the reenactment of the cultural space of the rural market on Tet holiday, including a calligrapher's booth with the custom of giving words and writing calligraphy in spring, a rural market corner with popular dishes but "specialties" associated with the childhood of many generations, and some traditional folk games, aiming to raise awareness, pride and responsibility of each person, especially the young generation, for preserving and promoting traditional cultural values.

(Do Van Hien, Director of the Provincial Museum)

“Today, calligraphy in the national language has become popular throughout the country in general and in Ha Nam province in particular. With talent and passion, calligraphy lovers in the province always seek and create works, thereby contributing to educating people towards the values ​​of truth - goodness - beauty. At the beginning of spring, the Provincial Museum often organizes the reenactment of the cultural space of the rural market on Tet holiday, including a calligrapher's booth with the custom of giving words and writing calligraphy in spring, a rural market corner with popular dishes but "specialties" associated with the childhood of many generations, and a number of traditional folk games, aiming to raise awareness, pride and responsibility of each person, especially the young generation, for the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values" - said Mr. Do Van Hien, Director of the Provincial Museum.

In recent years, some spring festivals in the province have had booths displaying and exhibiting calligraphy with the image of "calligraphers" wearing ao dai and turbans sitting and writing calligraphy, giving words for luck. In addition to Chinese characters, the "calligraphers" also write calligraphy in the national language. The content of the calligraphy is often wishes for peace, meaningful sayings about feelings: teacher - student, parent - child, husband - wife, friends, confidants... These are the words "Phuc", "Tai", "Loc" carrying the wish for a new year of peace, prosperity and happiness; "Chi", "Tho", "Thanh" expressing the desire for success in career and career; "Nhanh", "Le", "Hieu", "Thuan" expressing the wish for all good things, luck; "Nhan", "Tri", "Minh" expressing the desire for wisdom, education... The elderly often ask for the words "An" and "Tho"; People who have encountered many hardships and difficulties ask for the word "Patience"; students ask for the word "Achievement"; business people ask for the words "Trust" and "Prosperity"... The custom of asking for calligraphy at the beginning of spring is gradually becoming an elegant hobby among the four hobbies "first calligraphy, second paintings, third ceramics, fourth bonsai".

Not only is she a representative face of writing Vietnamese calligraphy in the province, teacher Nguyen Thanh Thuy - Principal of Nguyen Tat Thanh Secondary and High School, Ha Nam branch is also known as someone who actively spreads the beauty of calligraphy as well as "inspires" colleagues and students. 20 years ago, when she first entered the lecture hall of Hanoi Pedagogical University, Thanh Thuy had a deep love for calligraphy from the fascinating lectures of Associate Professor, Dr. Ha Van Minh. Later, when she started working, despite her busy work, she still took the time to "breathe life" into calligraphy with the desire to contribute to the rich cultural colors of her homeland. “At Nguyen Tat Thanh Secondary and High School, students are focused on comprehensive development of knowledge, qualities, and abilities, in which cultivating love for national cultural traditions is always emphasized. Students are introduced to the art of calligraphy, guided in writing and competing in writing Tet couplets in the annual Spring Greeting program. During Literature classes, students are also introduced to this art. In particular, the school regularly connects students to participate in experiential activities related to the art of calligraphy at the Provincial Museum. In the near future, the school plans to establish a calligraphy club for talented and interested students to register to participate,” said teacher Nguyen Thanh Thuy.

It can be said that the movement of writing calligraphy in Vietnamese has been and is receiving a lot of attention from the people, especially the response of young people is proof of the flexibility and suppleness in cultural assimilation, honoring the Vietnamese language - the modern orthodox writing of the Vietnamese people.

Hoang Oanh (Provincial Center for Culture and Arts)

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/van-hoa/thu-phap-chu-quoc-ngu-gin-giu-truyen-thong-lan-toa-van-hoa-143353.html