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J
ust an hour from Hanoi, I discov-
ered the calm of the unique craft
villages and tranquil pagodas of
Bac Ninh province, where the air
is pure and cooling and a welcome re-
lief from the omnipresent smog of the
metropolis.
First up, I arrived at Dong Ho wood-
print village in Thuan Thanh district.
Dong Ho is a typical northern village,
with red-brown tiled roofs and a con-
fusing network of alleys. As far back
as the 16th century, Dong Ho village is
said to have been famed for its wood-
block prints and thereafter enjoyed a
healthy prosperity as a result of the
prints’ popularity. But currently, there
are only five households in the village
that practice the traditional craft be-
cause many families have quit printing
to produce votive paper and objects for
offerings – an industry it seems there
there’s no end to in Vietnam where an-
cestor worship is bug business.
In the past, as Tet approached the
village would be crowded with people
who came from around the country
to barter or buy prints. The market in
front of Dong Ho temple would have
been as jubilant, colourful and crowded
as a festival. The Dong Ho prints were
considered the height of sophistication.
All woodblocks were chiseled by
the craftsmen, while all the coloured-
powders were ground from natural sub-
stances – black came from the ash of
bamboo leaf, green from indigo leaves,
blue from copper rust, amber from pine
resin, yellow from saphora flowers and
gardenia seeds, scarlet from orche, cor-
al from red wood and white from egg
shells. The colours are durable as well
as water proof. The prints were made
on paper and coated with a thin layer
of sea mussels’ powder.
Hitherto 1945, there were around
150 households making prints. While
the occupation has dwindled, there are
still a few dedicated artists, of whom
the most well-known are Nguyen Huu
Sam and Nguyen Dang Che.
“Our ancestors were very profound
and subtle in their work,” Nguyen Huu
Sam told us when we visited his work-
shop house in the middle of village.
“Hidden in the simple, natural and
spontaneous appearances are human
values. Our woodblock prints are not
only used for decorative purposes, but
they reflect the dreams and aspirations
for a happy and prosperous life. Some
pictures teach us the way to be a good
person. Others attack bad behaviour or
habits with satirical images.”
Leaving Sam’s house with his play-
ful and almost innocent prints, we en-
tered one of the largest villas by the
dyke on the edge of the village - the
showroom of artisan Nguyen Dang Che
and his family. Che’s house is flooded
with colourful prints of all sizes.
In his workshop-cum-showroom,
each member of the family, from the
grandmothers to the grandkids, are
involved in the process of producing
prints. There’s plenty of life in the art
form yet, and Che wants to ensure it
not only survives, but thrives.
“I developed this workshop and mu-
seum in this ancient house for visitors to
see craftsmen work and to join the pro-
cess to create their own prints,” Che said.
It’s great to see artisans preparing
paper and colourings and then printing,
but it’s much more interesting to layer
your own works and then take them
home. After brainstorming, I selected
46
timeout
RED RIVER DELTA TOURISM
But Thap Pagoda
Majestic Bac Ninh
Bac Ninh province, east of Hanoi, is the place to
escape the capital and enjoy the peace and quiet
of the most ancient pagodas in Vietnam.
Nguyen Duc
paid a visit.