An exhibition going on at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi is offering visitors an insight into six renowned Vietnamese folk painting genres.

An artisan from Van Canh commune of Hoai Duc district, Hanoi, demonstrates the making of a Kim Hoang folk painting 

The event, which opened on October 24 and will run through November 10, is showcasing 50 works of the folk painting genres of Kim Hoang and Hang Trong of Hanoi, Dong Ho of northern Bac Ninh province, Kinh and Goi vai of the southern region, and Sinh of central Thua Thien-Hue province.

It aims to help visitors understand more about the values of each genre.

Opening the display, Director of the Hanoi Ceramics Museum Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa said folk paintings hold an important position in Vietnamese cultural heritage. With their special language, folk paintings reflect the outlook on life of generations of people in all corners of the country.

The exhibition also features 30 paintings and 27 products created by Hanoi children. These exhibits were selected from more than 300 entries in a competition based on Kim Hoang folk paintings this year.

At the opening ceremony, children also showed fashion designs inspired by Kim Hoang folk paintings.

Kim Hoang is a folk painting genre in Hoai Duc district, Hanoi, that reached its prime in the 18th and 19th centuries. It mainly depicts the daily life of people in the northern lowland region.

Hang Trong, another genre in Hanoi, was first known as worship paintings. Later, its topics expanded to cover social activities like markets or dragon dance or famous stories like the Tale of Kieu and the classical drama of Son Hau.

Meanwhile, the Dong Ho genre of Bac Ninh province dates back to about the 16th – 17th centuries and developed until the first half of the 20th century. It mainly demonstrates the traditional social and agricultural life of Vietnamese.

Kinh (glass) paintings are unique products of southerners. Artisans draw on one side of a piece of glass, and the finished work is the one seen from the other side. This genre covers a range of topics, from worship paintings that feature ancestors, gods or the Buddha, greeting paintings to those depicting landscapes.

Goi vai (wrapped in fabric) paintings came into existence in the late 20th century in the southern region. They mainly depict humans, animals or landscapes raised with fabric or silk, giving them a vivid look.

Sinh paintings come from Sinh village in Hue city and are considered a symbol of local culture. This genre reflects folk beliefs as well as the daily life of locals.-VNA