The soul of the nation by the Duong River

#Culture
Dong Ho paintings are a type of folk art created using traditional methods by the skilled and artistic hands of artisans in Dong Ho village, Song Ho ward, Thuan Thanh town, Bac Ninh province. The paintings first appeared around the 16th century, printed from woodblocks on Do paper, a type of paper made by hand from the bark of the Do tree growing in the forest. The bark is brought back, pounded in a mortar, sieved into a fine powder, and then used to make paper. A layer of paste mixed with crushed scallop shell powder is also applied to the surface of the Do paper to create a bright, shimmering color, hence it is also called Do paper. The period from the late 19th century to the resistance war against the French in 1945 was a flourishing time for Dong Ho paintings. From 1945 to 1954, due to the devastating war, the art of painting was interrupted. After 1954, the village's traditional paintings were revived, but the strong influx of Western art greatly influenced the craft, causing the Dong Ho folk painting tradition to gradually decline. Currently, a few families with long-standing traditions are still preserving and restoring the old painting craft, a famous village once mentioned by the poet Hoang Cam in his poem "Across the Duong River," with familiar images close to the lives of the Vietnamese people:
Dong Ho paintings of chickens and pigs, with vibrant lines,
The national colors shining brightly on the Diep paper.
And wherever the people of Dong Ho village go, they always remember the folk verse:
No matter what trade one engages in,
Remember to return to trade paintings in the twelfth lunar month.