Children’s Dong Ho painting contest launched

The Hanoi Association of UNESCO Clubs, in collaboration with the Heritage Inns, has launched a children’s painting contest on Vietnamese Dong Ho folk woodcut paintings.

Titled “Children paint national colors,” the contest is open to kids aged from 4 to 9 at preschools and primary schools across the country.

Ten original Dong Ho paintings have been uploaded on http://www.hoiquandisan.com and http://www.facebook.com/HoiQuanDiSan. Participates will draw the paintings on A3 paper and can send up to three pictures to the Heritage Inns at 115/9 Nui Truc Alley, Nui Truc Street in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh District by 5:30pm, July 16.

The 30 contestants with the best work will be selected as winners and their paintings will be displayed in a one-month exhibition. The 30 winners will also take a field trip to a Dong Ho painting village to witness the traditional process through which they are made.

The announcement of the results and the award ceremony are expected to take place on July 31 and August 10, respectively.

According to the organizers, the contest aims to create a meaningful and creative playground for children, educate kids on the value of traditional Dong Ho folk paintings, and raise people’s awareness on preserving the traditional art.

Dong Ho folk woodcut painting is a genre of Vietnamese woodcut paintings originating from Dong Ho village in Bac Ninh province. Using the traditional diep paper and colors derived from nature, craftsmen print Dong Ho pictures of different themes from good luck wishes and historical figures to everyday activities and folk allegories. The art of making Dong Ho pictures is considered a symbol of traditional culture and the aesthetic value of Vietnam.