Dong Ho painting or Dong Ho folk woodcut painting is a genre of Vietnamese folk painting, stemming from Dong Ho village, Song Ho commune, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province in the 17th century. (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Dong Ho painting is special because it is printed by hand entirely from woodblocks. Each painting has one woodblock for the outline and several others for printing a color. The number of the woodcuts corresponds to the number of colours a painting has. The colours of paint are processed from natural materials Vietnam. The woodblocks are engraved by hand and can be kept for many years. In the photo: A woodblock for the “Rat’s Wedding” painting. (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Artisans must use many woodblocks to create a Dong Ho painting. (Photo: VNP/VNA)
An artisan finalizes a painting with his hand drawing after it is printed. (Photo: VNP/VNA)
The colours used for printing Dong Ho paintings are made from natural materials. (Photo: VNP/ VNA)
“Vinh quy bai to” (Returning home to pay tribute to ancestors after achieving academic honours) is a main genre of Dong Ho painting. (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Decorative objects are created with Dong Ho painting patterns. (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Dong Ho painting – art of daily life
For centuries, Dong Ho paintings were used as precious decorations to celebrate the Tet festival. People bought the paintings to hang on their walls for a year, which are then replaced with new ones for the next New Year. Dong Ho painting was inscribed in the list of national intangible cultural heritage in December 2012.
