Of the four people who are considered the “leading calligraphers” of Vietnam, Cung Khac Luoc is the only person with a PhD degree in Han script (Chinese characters) and Nom script (ancient Vietnamese script). He is also known for his broad-minded lifestyle and liberal way of writing calligraphy.

Every year when Tet (Lunar New Year Holidays) comes near, people see an old man with a white beard wearing a long black dress, place a mat with Chinese ink and red paper on the pavement to write couplets for Tet. It is Cung Khac Luoc, PhD, one of the “four leading calligraphers” in Han script in Vietnam.

All people engaged in writing calligraphic Han words in Hanoi in particular and in Vietnam in general know the name of these four calligraphers. They are Le Xuan Hoa (who died in late 2007), Nguyen Van Bach, Lai Cao Nguyen and Cung Khac Luoc. Of them, Cung Khac Luoc has a quite different lifestyle.

Luoc is different from others not only in his stately appearance but also in his gentlemanly character. That is the reason why his friends have given him the nicknames “romantic traveler” and “rule-breaking man”. Sometimes people see him in a red brocade robe sitting solemnly like a scholar during a commentary of literary works.

Sometimes he wears an obsolete black robe, a brown woolen hat and leather sandals to stand on the sidewalk and write calligraphic words, seemingly forgetting everything else in life.

Born into a family with a tradition of Confucianism, at a young age he learned and accumulated a rich source of Han Nom. When he grew up he continued to study philology and spent many years teaching in the mountain areas. His work and nomadic life gradually led him to research Han Nom, especially ancient Han scripts of the ethnic groups in the north.

Luoc is not only proficient in Han-Nom script but he is also clever and active. He likes learning about the cultures and societies of other countries in the world. Everybody who talks with him is very interested in his lively, attractive and witty stories of all issues in life. He is easy to talk to, so few people know that he has achieved a PhD degree in Han Nom and was a cadre and a lecturer of many great universities and research institutes.

Today, calligraphy is no longer as popular as in the old days. The number of Han script-lovers is small and the number of people who are conversant and excellent in writing calligraphic words like Cung Khac Luoc is even smaller. He has engaged in Han Nom studies for decades and calligraphy has become his intimate friend because thanks to it he can express his thoughts, his happiness and his sadness. Therefore, when he is happy his handwriting is liberal and when he is sad his handwriting looks melancholy.

Calligraphy requires the writer to have dexterity and understand the deep meaning of the words so as to express the spirit of the words and the personality of the writer. Apart from following these rules Luoc is versatile in writing calligraphic words. Some of his calligraphic works have a free and open composition but they show the scholarly characteristic of an ancient writing and the talent of the writer.

Sometimes he does not use a special brush to write the way people have done for hundreds of years, but uses a paint brush or a broom instead. Many people said that by doing so, he was damaging the words. Hearing that, he did not argue but said: “The words are of the sages and saints, but the way of writing must be of the Vietnamese people. So I want to write the calligraphic words that are as natural as the simple personality of the Vietnamese people. I do not want to produce a type of stereotypical writing as in the books”.

Every year, on the occasion of Tet, many people come to see and buy calligraphic words written by Cung Khac Luoc at Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi. They want to have his words for luck because they know that Luoc is good in literature and has fine handwriting. Other people like to watch the old scholar create beautiful calligraphic words.

In an atmosphere of spring, Luoc is absorbed in writing. Sometimes he raises his head, smiles at his audience and explains the meaning of a Han word or the couplets for Tet. He often tells them a couple of tales of the past and present, making the atmosphere warmer and more joyful.

Source: VNP