The story of Ngo Quy Duc and Nguyen Cong Dat, from Chuon Village, whose official name is An Truyen (Hue) to Thanh Lieu (Hai Phong), is one such connecting thread.
The heritage seekers
To successfully organise two exhibitions showcasing the traditional Vietnamese ceremonial scrolls (literally, the red paper scrolls used for writing calligraphy and couplets to decorate homes during the Lunar New Year) in Chuon Village, one in Hue in early January and the other in Ha Noi in early February, few know that Duc had “relocated” from Ha Noi to Hue over a year ago. It seems like a predestined fate for this young man born in 1985, as he returned to Hue after months of traveling through central Viet Nam exploring traditional craft villages in 2022.
Duc finally settled before the Ngu Ha Vien (Imperial Garden). Here, he not only saw an architectural heritage but also felt the heartfelt message, the unfulfilled dreams, and the aspirations of the late artisan, the “king of traditional houses,” Duong Dinh Vinh. Ngu Ha Vien was then reborn and carried the new missions that Duc had cherished for so many years.
According to Duc, Hue is truly the land that allows him to revive the essence of Vietnamese handicrafts. The ancient capital once proudly possessed three famous folk painting styles: Sinh Village paintings, Chuon Village scrolls, and Tay Ho Village paintings. However, time and historical changes have been cruel.
The Tay Ho Village paintings have completely disappeared over the past 80 years. Meanwhile, Chuon Village scrolls have also faded away in the more than 10 years since the last artisan, Huynh Ly, passed away. Only Sinh Village paintings have been luckier, but even that luck is fragile, with only artisan Ky Huu Phuoc remaining, highlighting the immensely regrettable situation.
Therefore, the project to revive Chuon Village scrolls was initially very difficult due to the lack of artisans and original woodblocks. Duc and his colleagues had to travel to other folk painting villages (Hang Trong, Dong Ho, Kim Hoang, Sinh) many times to gather and piece together the remaining fragments of memory. And in early January 2026, the woodblock set that Duc and the artisans of Thanh Lieu Woodblock Printing Village had restored was unveiled, featuring a large character “Phuc” (meaning “blessing”) interwoven with the four mythical creatures (dragon, unicorn, tortoise, phoenix) and a pair of couplets “Heaven and Earth, Three Auspicious Signs / The Universe, All Things in Spring” on a background of golden-yellow persimmon wood, with exquisite carvings down to the smallest detail.
According to Duc, the project not only restores a handcrafted product but also fills the gaps in Hue’s cultural memory, so that heritage items like Chuon Village couplets and, further afield, Tay Ho paintings, can be revived and shine brightly as they once did.
He emphasised that heritage should not remain only in museums or in nostalgic memories. This view was also shared by Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Hue City Department of Culture and Sports: Chuon Village couplets need to be brought into life and their value promoted in the contemporary flow, instead of just being restored.
The heritage carriers
While Duc chose to stay in a place to rediscover what had been lost, in Thanh Lieu, Nguyen Cong Dat chose a different path: to travel. He travelled, following in the footsteps of the founder of the craft, Luong Nhu Hoc (1420-1501), who went on an embassy to China and passed on the woodblock printing craft to the three villages of Hong Luc, Lieu Trang, and Khue Lieu.
He travelled, just as the ancient craftsmen of the village used to do. And he travelled, partly to make a living, and partly to keep the craft from being confined to the narrow space of the village.
According to this young man born in 1992, for 20 years Thanh Lieu Woodblock Printing Village was not mentioned as machines gradually replaced the skilful hands of the craftsmen. This image is completely contrary to the fact that Hong Luc, now Thanh Lieu, was once the printing centre of the country for five centuries until before 1945.
Fortunately for Dat, he grew up knowing that his village had a tradition of woodblock printing. Even as a child, he watched his elders carve printing blocks, seals, and pictures. With a passion for art, he decided to study interior design at the Ha Noi Open University, never imagining that one day he could revive the craft.
Wanting to learn more about woodblock printing, Dat visited the Temple of Literature to see the stele commemorating the founder of the craft, Luong Nhu Hoc, and to learn about the history of the village’s printing industry and the names of past artisans.
In 2010, he officially entered the profession, initially carving small seals to stamp on pictures. In 2015, he graduated and returned to his village to do work such as painting, creating miniature landscapes, and carving seals.
In addition, he continued to search for information about the craft village and collect related materials. After several years of meeting with historians and making requests to Hai Duong Province, Dat’s desire to clarify the history of the craft village was successful when Thanh Lieu was recognised as a traditional craft village.
In 2024, he collaborated with Duc to organise the programme entitled “Thanh Lieu Woodblocks — The Journey to Revive a Craft Village” in Bach Nghe Ward (the Centre for Research, Development, and Application of Vietnamese Craft Village Products).
It can be said that the collaboration between Duc and Dat is a meeting of two currents: one side striving to rediscover memories, and the other beginning to preserve the lifeblood of the craft. Thanks to this, from the woodblock carvings, from the technique of using horizontal knives, and from the experience accumulated over many years, the craftsmen of Thanh Lieu have contributed to the revival of Chuon Village’s scrolls with a complete version consisting of five panels (with the addition of two panels depicting “Crane on the Turtle’s Back”).
Artisans are not just practitioners of a craft, but also living legacies, manifested in the elements of identity creation, companionship, gratitude, responsibility, and preservation of that identity.
Assoc Prof, Dr Tran Thi An, President of the Ha Noi Folk Arts Association
Interestingly, a quiet cycle is unfolding. More than 500 years ago, the people of Thanh Lieu took their craft to various places to earn a living, creating three woodblock prints recognised by UNESCO as World Documentary Heritage in the Asia-Pacific region: the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks, the Vinh Nghiem Pagoda woodblocks, and the Phuc Giang School woodblocks. They also created four national treasures and participated in the printing of folk paintings in Henri Oger’s book “Techniques of the Annamese People.”
Now, young artisans are taking their craft with them, both producing products and contributing to the revival of other traditional craft villages.
And from there, the story of Thanh Lieu is no longer just about the revival of a traditional craft village. It becomes a story about how a living heritage continues — by being given away, received, and then revived elsewhere, in a new form, but still retaining the essence of its ancestors.
According to Assoc Prof, Dr Tran Thi An, President of the Ha Noi Folk Arts Association, artisans are not only practitioners of the craft but also living heritage, manifested in the elements of identity creation, companionship, gratitude, responsibility, and preservation of identity.
When talking about the road ahead, Dat doesn’t focus on specific plans or sets of paintings. What he cares about is how to ensure that woodblock prints don’t remain in display cases, but return to their proper function: being printed, being used, and being present in daily life.
Just as Duc chose to stay in Hue to rediscover the memories of the craft village, Dat and the Thanh Lieu artisans continue their journeys, bringing the techniques and spirit of the craft to many places. Perhaps that is the most natural way for a heritage to endure, not by being preserved intact in memory, but by still being touched and carried by people today in their lives.
