Dragon-themed spring festival celebrates Lunar New Year
Ceramic sculptures depicting different postures of dragon – one of the four sacred animals in Vietnamese culture, are on display at an on-going exhibition in Hanoi.
Entitled Vu Dieu Bach Long (The Dance of a Hundred Dragons), the exhibition presents 100 artworks created by the Hai Phong-based artist Pham Van Tuyen to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Dragon.
The exhibition is part of the Giap Thin Spring Festival 2024 taking place at the Vietnam Cultural and Art Exhibition Centre in Hanoi.
Visitors can enjoy dragon sculptures in various unique vases. In addition, the Rong Hoa section (Dragon Transformation) showcases the dragon’s different postures that represent four seasons – spring, summer, autumn and winter, and associated with four types of trees – pine, chrysanthemum, bamboo and apricot.
Finally, dragon sculptures that express the desire for peace and wishes for good luck and prosperity during the up-coming Year of the Dragon are also included.
Each of the 100 sculptures is a unique creation, expressing the eminence yet mystique of the sacred animal. Presenting the exquisite creativity of the artist, these artworks are integrated into functional objects such as flower vases, lamp stands and incense burners.
As part of the Giap Thin Spring Festival 2024, visitors also have the chance to contemplate a unique collection of dragon paintings created by artist Hoang Truc on areca spathe. The collection has been recognised by the Vietnam Record Organisation as the country’s largest collection of dragon paintings on areca spathe.
Painter Nghiem Diep Anh also has introduced 40 powder colour paintings at her exhibition Dragons and Flowers. The image of the traditional dragon has been represented in her contemporary paintings, expressing freshness and modernity.
Especially, a collection of 20 Vietnamese royal costumes with richly embroidered dragon patterns also are on display. A result of a hardworking research of the Van Thien Y Company, the collection reveals the similarities and differences of the costumes in general and of the dragon in particular under the Ly, Tran and Nguyen dynasties.
Artisans from famous pottery villages in the North such as Huong Canh in Vinh Phuc province, Giang Cao in Hanoi, and Chu Dau in Hai Duong province, also showcase their products associated with the dragon at the Spring Festival.
During the festival, alongside artworks on the theme of dragon, visitors can also enjoy special art performances.
The Giap Thin Spring Festival 2024 is open until February 1 at the Vietnam Cultural and Art Exhibition Centre, 2 Hoa Lư street, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi.
