What makes you proud of your area?

Ladies and gentlemen! We are from Đông Hồ village in Bắc Ninh province.Maybe, many of you here will think of Đông Hồ paintings when hearing the name of our hometown.So, today, we are very honoured to introduce you about the exclusive handicrafts in my village, Đông Hồ paintings.In the first part, let us speak about their history and origin.This traditional painting form originated in our Đông Hồ village.It was started by farmers and dates back to the Lê dynasty in the 16th century.At that time, the paintings were made exclusively by hand,showcasing both the cleverness and patience of the artisans.Dong Ho paintings may seem simple enough, butn the process of making them is surprisingly complex and laborious.There are multiple stages, starting from sourcing the ingredients to the actual printing process, which is said to be the most difficult task.So what is special about this art form?All of the paints are produced from natural materials: black from burnt bamboo leaves, green from Cajuput leaves, yellow from senna flowers, white from powder of egg shells, and red from powder of red gravels.
They are normally limited to the five basic colours that were once described in literature:In Dong Ho paintings, chickens and pigs are livelyThe national colours shine bright on the điệp paperTraditionally, Đông Hồ paintings are an essential element in every Vietnamese family during the Tet holiday.They always transmit a deep message through the pictures and stanzas that are usually inscribed in the corners.In this way, they show the artists’ opinions towards life and strive to convey pieces of everyday wisdom.The colourful tones and optimistic content of the images liven up the house and they are considered a good luck sign for the family in the New Year.Thus Đông Hồ paintings have other names like Tết paintings or spring paintings.That’s all about our presentation today. We hope that it gives you a deeper insight into Đông Hồ paintings.