Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed with the submission of a dossier on Dong Ho folk paintings to UNESCO to include the art in the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.

A painting of the Dong Ho folk painting genre (Photo: VNA)

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was assigned to sign the dossier as regulated.

Meanwhile, the Viet Nam National UNESCO Commission will coordinate with the ministry to complete all necessary procedures to send the dossier to UNESCO before the end of this month.

Dong Ho village, formerly named Mai village, in Song Ho commune of Thuan Thanh district, northern Bac Ninh province, is known as the cradle of one of the most famous folk painting genres of Viet Nam.

The paintings vividly reflect the traditional agricultural society, along with the life and practices of rural Viet Namese people.

In the past, there were 17 clans in Dong Ho village engaging in the trade. After 1945, folk painting genres like Dong Ho, Hang Trong and Kim Hoang gradually fell into oblivion. In 1990, some local artisans began collecting old paintings and woodblocks in an effort to revive the Dong Ho painting genre.

At present, making Dong Ho folk paintings has been recovered and has its values upheld in the contemporary life. It was recognised as part of the national intangible cultural heritage in 2013.

Source: VNA