Glass paintings - a beautiful aspect of folk culture.

Over 70 paintings on glass, dating back to 1920, by Vietnamese, Chinese, and Khmer artists, are on display at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts.

The exhibition showcases themes related to Southern Vietnamese and Hue- style paintings, the Chinese and Khmer communities, or topics related to worship, decoration, and religion.

In the section on Chinese glass paintings in Vietnam, the works depicting worship, dating back to the 1920s, stand out. Below the paintings are models recreating the ancestral altars of the Chinese community in Southern Vietnam.

Glass painting appeared in Vietnam in the 19th century, introduced by Chinese immigrants, and was present in the Hue imperial court during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang. By the early 20th century, this art form had spread to many regions across the country. Over more than a century of development, this art form has given rise to many famous styles with distinct characteristics, such as those of Cho Lon (Saigon), Lai Thieu ( Binh Duong ), and Khmer.

In the exhibition, the oldest exhibit is a glass painting of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, painted by a Chinese artist in 1920. The owner of the collection stated that this artifact originated from a temple on Nguyen Thai Binh Street, District 1.

Most of the Chinese glass paintings in the exhibition depict themes of deities in folk beliefs such as Guan Sheng Di Jun, Tian Hou Sheng Mu, Hui Guang Da Di, Jiu Tian Xuan Nu, the four auspicious plants (plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo), the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter), and ancient plays dating back more than half a century.

Two paintings depicting scenes from the Three Kingdoms period, "Xu Chu fighting Ma Chao naked" and "Grand Tutor Dong causing a commotion in the Phoenix Pavilion," were from the Tan Hue glass painting shop, once famous in Cholon.

Folk art glass paintings decorating a Chinese noodle cart in the 1960s.

Four folk paintings from Southern Vietnam depicting the Four Evils (Wealth, Gambling, Alcohol, and Lust) were painted in 1980.

"Tứ đổ tường" is a colloquial term jokingly referring to four bad habits: alcohol, lust, wealth, and vice. The full phrase is "Tửu sắc tài khí tứ đổ tường" (Alcohol, lust, wealth, and vice are the four walls of ruin). This is a Sino-Vietnamese term describing bad habits that destroy homes and families, equivalent to: gambling, drinking, womanizing, and drug use.

The paintings from Southern Vietnam are combined to form a large artwork with a nature theme, flanked by two couplets.

The Hue glass paintings displayed at the exhibition are mostly new works – painted in the past few years.

The Khmer glass paintings on display at the exhibition mainly originate from Tra Vinh and Soc Trang provinces. The Khmer people adopted the technique of glass painting somewhat later than the Vietnamese. The paintings typically depict themes of Theravada Buddhism, family, and warding off evil spirits.

Giang Tuyet Nhi, 22, a visitor, said: "I usually see glass paintings in temples, Chinese families' homes, and noodle carts. Now, seeing this exhibition, I realize that the Khmer people also have their own style of painting."

This is a 1993 painting by a Khmer artist. The paintings are characterized by the fact that they often depict women or men in traditional clothing, but without faces, on glass beforehand. When a person commissions a portrait, the artist then adds the face to the pre-drawn image.

The exhibition also recreates the worship space of Vietnamese people in Southern Vietnam with glass paintings, couplets, and horizontal plaques hanging on the walls. The worship items such as incense burners, vases, and cabinets are all about half a century old.