Have you heard of woodblock paintings? This is a labour-intensive art form that is believed to have originated in China and spread across the world. In Vietnam, the village of Dong Ho in Bac Ninh province has a 400-year tradition of creating colourful prints using this technique. In fact, the Dong Ho woodblock printing was added to the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2025.

Manual process

The entire process is manual. Wooden blocks are carved with the images, one block for each colour to be used. Then comes the preparation of the paper. This involves stripping the bark of the dó tree, which is indigenous to Vietnam, removing the inner layer and boiling it to separate the fibres. These are then pressed to make the paper, which is tough and is excellent at absorbing the ink. The final step is a coating of powdered seashell.

The artisans mostly use organic dyes made from natural elements such as seashells, charcoal, flowers, stones and other materials. These are then applied to the blocks in a particular order, which depends on the image, and pressed onto the paper. The black outline is always done at the end. The final step is an application of a sticky rice paste to protect the colours and ensure that the painting lasts for a long time.

Intense training

Designing the image and carving it on the wooden blocks requires intense training and many years to master. Artisans usually belonged to families, and the carved blocks became heirlooms that were treasured over generations. Today, the tradition is confined to a few families, and the number of practitioners is shrinking, putting the craft in danger of dying out not just because of dwindling craftspeople and also sourcing of sourcing the ingredients required.

Fun fact

Originally the themes were linked to celebrations such as the Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival, ancestor worship and life in rural Vietnam. Today, artisans are switching to modern designs to be able to keep the art form alive.