Traditional art and craft

The Lunar New Year market at Metropole Hanoi is open to the public daily, and kicks off January 17 at 4pm with an opening ceremony featuring a traditional dragon dance. The market will be open from 11am to 8pm on the following days. More than 15 vendors will take part in this year’s bazaar, and special Metropole hampers with luxury and gourmet items for the festivities are already available for sale at both the market and at L’Epicerie du Metropole. … [Read more...] about Metropole Hanoi hosts Lunar New Year events with traditional market

Business is brisk ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations towards the end of this month, when people of Chinese descent worldwide burn incense in temples and at traditional ceremonies. Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country but is home to a substantial ethnic Chinese population, and the holiday is marked in many places. Ong Chin Chye, who runs the business in a series of wood and corrugated iron buildings, said his colourful hand-made sticks look a lot better than those churned out by machines. "With machines, can you make the dragon head like this?" the 60-year-old asked AFP, pointing to his intricately carved creations. Ong's sticks are primarily made from sawdust, using a mix of locally-grown "meranti" timber -- a common hardwood in Southeast Asia -- and aromatic agarwood. These are combined with water to make a sticky paste that forms the sticks. The next 12 months will be the Year of the Rat -- the first creature in the Chinese zodiac's 12-year cycle -- but Ong said his buyers … [Read more...] about Malaysia’s hand-made incense craftwork a declining art

The Dong Ho paintings used to be popular at Tet time, but declining demand make many people abandon the traditional art, Qua said. Most of his clients are foreigners and overseas Vietnamese, he added. This year, his family has made 200 sets of calendars, postcards and notebooks, all themed on the rat. … [Read more...] about “Rat’s Weddings” galore as Vietnamese woodcut artist prepares for Tet

Hanoi (VNA) – Like many other traditional crafts, the change in people’s demand when the country switched to the market economy has caused numerous difficulties and challenges to the Dong Ho folk painting genre. The appearance and competition of other forms of arts have exposed Dong Ho paintings to the risk of falling into oblivion. Ups and downs in history The elderly in Dong Ho village, located in Song Ho commune of Thuan Thanh district, the northern province of Bac Ninh, said the craft was in its prime between the late 19th century and 1944. At that time, the whole village engaged in producing votive papers from the 3rd to the 7th lunar month and then making paintings from the 8th to the 12th month in the lunar calendar to prepare for the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival. All the 17 clans in the village did this craft, brightening the entire village with the colours of paintings. The busiest time was the market days on the 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st and 26th of the 12th … [Read more...] about Ups and downs challenge vitality of Dong Ho paintings

Ly Son’s people believe that the village that has the winning boat will be the most peaceful and prosperous during the year. The participants should be healthy and skillful men. In the past, the boats were designed for only 14 people; however, in recent years, the boats have been built for 24 men. Each team has its own uniform with red scarves on the participants’ heads. The shouts of encouragement, along with the determination of racers, always make for a bustling and lively atmosphere during the festival. … [Read more...] about Tu Linh boat race – a unique festival of Ly Son island district