“Triumphant Smile”

11 years ago, Vietnam Pictorial did an article about Mrs. VoThiThang who is famous for “Triumphant Smile” which was deeply imprinted in the memory of the times. On August 22, she passed away at the age of 69. To honour her, Vietnam Pictorial would like to introduce to readers the article printed on Vietnam Pictorial No.3, 2003.

Mrs.Vo Thi Thang (in 2003). Photo: VNP's file

How could a young girl just over 20, sentenced to 20 years’ hard labour, have such a gentle and innocent smile of self-confidence! That’s why, some wonder whether or not Vo Thi Thang was real; her smile had become virtually surreal. However, to those who know the land and the people living on this soil, this is quite simple and understandable. That smile belongs to Mother – the Vietnamese Motherland.

Vietnamese Crispy Spring Roll - Nem rán / Chả giò

Vietnamese Crispy Spring Roll - Nem rán / Chả giò

Video by: Helen

Chanel Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HelenRecipes

Full recipe at (Xem cong thuc day du tai) http://danangcuisine.com/?p=3797

► GET MY COOKBOOK here: http://danangcuisine.com/cookbook/
► Items in my kitchen and pantry http://danangcuisine.com/store/

Hoi An Cuisine Culture Space

 Located on a quiet alley on Cach Mang Thang Tam Road, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An or Hoai Pho Restaurant with its space and décor reminds people of the peaceful scenery of old streets and the Hoai River running through the ancient town of Hoi An.

Hoi An is well-known for its pure beauty of an ancient and pensive town with the peaceful Hoai River. For this reason, when visiting the restaurant people will feel close and familiar with its space and architecture.

The gate at Hoi An Restaurant is similar to Ngo Mon (Moon Gate) in the Imperial Capital of Hue.

Exquisite Pieces of Fruit Art

Every year starting in June, many localities in southern Vietnam start the harvest of fruit which not only brings farmers high economic value but also is an abundant material resource for artists to create various unique and gorgeous pieces of work.

Fruit is beautiful in its own right, but when it is carved into art, the results can be magnificent. The art of arranging and carving fruits and vegetables into beautiful artwork has existed for a long time in the spiritual and cultural life of Vietnamese people that can be seen through five-fruit trays on special occasions, such as Tet and other ceremonies. Today, it has become more popular, particularly in the fruit tree growing regions, such as Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Tien Giang and Vinh Long in the south. 

The Southern Fruit Festival is held annually at the Suoi Tien Amusement Park that attracts a large number of tourists. During the festival, tourists see many exquisite pieces of fruit art. It takes artists’ time and effort to create beautiful artwork.

Culture values and customs family

The family is the most important of all social units in Vietnam. In contrast to the focus on individualism in the West, the close-knit family is the basic unit in Vietnamese society.

"Hieu", or filial piety, is one of the basic virtues. This refers to the idea of love, care, and respect that children give their parents. This obligation is unconditional, even in the case of a parent who abandons the children or does not fulfill his or her parental duties. Children are taught this virtue from a very young age. The socialization process normally begins at home with the teachings from grandparents and parents. This educational process continues throughout a child`s early years and is reinforced throughout all the social institutions.

Exhibition showcasing 104 photos of General Vo Nguyen Giap

PANO - The exhibition, titled “Vo Nguyen Giap, the People’s General” celebrating the General’s 104^th birthday (August 25^th) opened in Hanoi on August 24^th by the Capital Veterans’ Newspaper and the Hanoi Art Photographers’ Association. 
 

On display are 104 photos of General Vo Nguyen Giap at different moments. The photos were taken by photographic artist, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Trong Nghi during nearly 15 past years. 

This is the 3^rd time photographer Nguyen Trong Nghi has exhibited his photos of General Vo Nguyen Giap. The two previous exhibitions under the theme “General Vo Nguyen Giap with Truong Son Troops” and “General Vo Nguyen Giap with Veterans” were in 2009 and 2012, respectively.

Đông Hồ woodblock paintings

Đông Hồ woodblock painting

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"Hứng dừa" - coconut catching.

On my trip to Bắc Ninh province last week, I bought some Đông Hồ woodblock paintings. This is the most famous traditional painting style in northern Vietnam which has experienced 400-year history. The paintings are drawn on "Dó" (poonah) papers with coloring from pigments in half-baked bricks, tree leaves, ground coal, roots and resin. They reflect the aspirations of the people for peace, prosperity and happiness.

The village that specializes in making these paintings is Đông Hồ village in Thuận Thành district, Bắc Ninh province, 40km from Hanoi. Previously, it was called "Mái" village. It's a beautiful village by the Đuống river which still preserves some cultural heritages of the Kinh Bắc area.

Photos No. 7 - 12 in this blog were taken at the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi on 30 January 2009 during our lunar New Year festival (Tết 2009) and they show how to make the paintings. Each artist is in charge of a part of the paintings and they are using wooden moulds. The papers they use are "giấy điệp" (poonah papers covered with mixture of sea shell powder and sticky liquid). After printing, they brush the rear surfaces, so that the ink on the moulds can stick into the papers. When the paintings are complete, they dry them in the sun.

Đông Hồ woodblock painting
"Chọi trâu" - buffalo fighting.

The subjects of Đông Hồ woodblock paintings are dreams in the daily life, national heroes, or landscape, flowers, birds and animals symbolizing the 4 seasons. The 8 Đông Hồ woodblock paintings in my blog are the buffalo fighting (chọi trâu), chicken family (gà đàn), pig family (lợn đàn), little girl holds a duck (em bé gái ôm vịt), little boy with flute on a buffalo (em bé chăn trâu thổi sáo), swinging (đánh đu), lovers fighting because of jealousy (đánh ghen), coconut catching (hứng dừa). They are the symbols of happy family, prosperity, development, life in the countryside, as well as the sense of humor in Vietnamese culture.


Blog about my trip to Đông Hồ village in 2014: Đông Hồ painting village &Chuôn Ngọ village

Tranh dân gian Đông Hồ

Đông Hồ woodblock painting
"Em bé chăn trâu thổi sáo" (little boy with flute
on a buffalo) - symbol of life in the countryside.
This lunar year 2009 is the Year of the Buffalo,
 so this painting is very popular in Vietnam.

Tranh Đông Hồ là tranh khắc gỗ in trên giấy "điệp". Tranh Đông Hồ màu in trước, nét in sau. Tờ tranh có bao nhiêu màu thì in bấy nhiêu lần ván màu. Giấy in tranh là giấy "dó" dai bền, trên mặt giấy quét phủ một lớp màu trắng óng ánh, mịn màng như
 lụa, đó là tinh chất của mai con điệp ở ngoài biển hoà quyện cùng bột hồ nếp thơm, tạo cho tờ giấy "dó" cứng xốp và nổi lên chất nghệ thuật đặc sắc của những thô điệp. Sắc màu của tranh Đông Hồ rất đặc biệt, đó là sự hoà quyện của những sắc màu cổ truyền tươi tắn của những cây cỏ rất dễ tìm ở mỗi vùng quê Việt Nam. Màu son được khai thác từ đất đá của đồi núi, màu vàng được lấy từ hoa hoè. Tất cả các nguyên liệu làm tranh đều có sẵn trong tự nhiên và các bức tranh có màu sắc rất bền và đẹp, không dễ bị phai nhạt bởi ánh sáng và thời gian.

Nội dung tranh dân gian Đông Hồ rất phong phú, có tranh phản ánh cuộc sống sinh hoạt dân dã (em bé chăn trâu thổi sáo, em bé chăn trâu thả diều, chọi trâu, múa rồng, múa lân, bịt mắt bắt dê, rước rồng, đấu vật, kéo co...), có tranh miêu tả các anh hùng lịch sử (Đinh Bộ Lĩnh cưỡi rồng sang sông, Hai Bà Trưng, Bà Triệu...), các câu chuyện cổ tích (Thạch Sanh, Tấm Cám...), hay phong cảnh cỏ cây hoa lá phối hợp với chim muông, cầm thú tượng trưng cho 4 mùa (chim công, tứ quý...).

Đông Hồ woodblock painting
"Lợn đàn" (pig family) - symbol of prosperity.

Hình ảnh những em bé bụ bẫm, khoẻ mạnh hay những con vật quen thuộc thường xuất hiện trong loại tranh "chúc phúc" thể hiện ước vọng hạnh phúc từ bao đời của người dân. "Em bé trai ôm gà trống" biểu hiện lời cầu chúc mọi người, mọi nhà có con trai khoẻ mạnh, lớn lên sẽ vinh hiển với đủ đức tính tốt, văn, võ, duy, nhân, tín. "Em bé gái ôm vịt" biểu hiện đức tính của nữ giới về sự phong lưu, hiền dịu, đông con. "Em bé ôm cóc" biểu hiện ước mong đứa bé lớn lên gan dạ, dũng cảm, giàu có và nhân nghĩa. "Em bé ôm rùa" tượng trưng cho ước mong khoẻ mạnh và sống lâu. Tranh "gà trống" oai vệ, hùng dũng biểu tượng cho sự thịnh vượng và có ý chúc mừng mọi người, mọi nhà đón xuân tốt lành. Tranh "gà đàn" có ý nghĩa chúc tụng mọi người về hạnh phúc gia đình, vợ chồng hoà thuận, con cái đông vui quấn quít bên nhau. Tranh "lợn đàn" là biểu tượng của sự sung túc, no đủ. Khoáy âm dương trên mình lợn ngụ ý sự phát triển, sinh sôi, nảy nở.

Bài viết về chuyến đi đến Làng tranh Đông Hồ vào năm 2014: Đông Hồ painting village & Chuôn Ngọ village

Hanoi_girl 

Source: travelblog.org