July 01, 2025 | 22:02 (GMT+7)
Spreading Vietnamese culture through lotus and Tale of Kieu
PANO - For a long time, lotus flower has been a symbol of purity and elegance in Vietnamese culture, while “The Tale of Kieu” stands as a typical work with a special position in the country's literary heritage. The combination of the lotus and “The Tale of Kieu” in the thematic exhibition “Cultural space of the lotus and Kieu,” recently held at the Temple of Literature (Hanoi), offered the public an opportunity to cherish the values of the lotus, “The Tale of Kieu,” and Vietnam's cultural heritage.
The exhibition, jointly organized by the Center for Cultural and Scientific activities of the Temple of Literature, the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Conservation Fund, and Senhouse Vietnam, significantly contributed to promoting the cultural and artistic values of Vietnam to audience at home and abroad.
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Mac Thuy’s works inspired by the beauty of lotus and values of The Tale of Kieu |
The exhibition also served as a place to recreate and honor the traditional cultural beauty imbued with Vietnamese identity, where the lotus is not only a kind of flower but also a symbol of the nation’s soul, connecting the past with the present and tradition with contemporary creativity.
On display at the exhibition were 32 calligraphy works by artists Mac Thuy and Doc Dinh which were created with Chinese ink on Xuan paper. Most of the works depict exquisite verses from Nguyen Du’s “The Tale of Kieu,” especially verses that evoke images of the lotus. Attentively, at the left of the entrance stood a portrait of the great poet Nguyen Du made from dried lotus leaves, featuring the image of a simple yet elegant and noble Confucian scholar. Apart from the exhibition space, a series of activities, such as pottery painting and enjoying conical hats and lotus-patterned handicraft products contributed to spreading the love for traditional materials, serving as a bridge to bring Vietnamese culture closer to the public.
Jari Jarvela, a tourist from Finland, shared that visiting the exhibition for the first time, she was deeply impressed by the image of the lotus - a beautiful flower carrying profound cultural significance for the Vietnamese people.
According to Dr. Le Xuan Kieu, Director of the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities of the Temple of Literature, over the past time, the center has organized numerous events to honor Vietnamese cultural figures and traditional values. However, this was the first time there an exhibition dedicated to the great poet Nguyen Du and “The Tale of Kieu” had been organized. The calligraphy works highlighting the significance of “The Tale of Kieu” and ceramic works created a harmonious fusion of tradition and modernity, forming an impressive cultural space within the special national relic site.
Translated by Quynh Oanh