Lacquer paintings belong to the Vietnamese, said experts a recent seminar on lacquer art held in Hanoi. The seminar was told that some countries like Britain, France and Germany also showcase lacquer paintings, but the term son mai [or lacquer in English] was created by Vietnamese. Over the past 80 years, Vietnamese lacquer masters reached milestones in developing traditional crafts towards artistic creativity. The history of lacquer or son mai art is built from contributions from each country in the world, and Vietnam played an important role in the development of lacquer art. The seminar was co-held by the museum and the Hanoi Goethe Institute, with the participation of lacquer painters, art critics, experts and lecturers from Vietnam, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Participants were introduced to the concept of lacquer painting; the history of lacquer art; as well as specific requirements for lacquer materials and the preservation and restoration of lacquer paintings at the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts./.