The calligrapher with his talented calligraphy like a flying dragon and dancing phoenix giving calligraphy to the people during the coming of Tet and Spring is a beautiful image of the ancient culture of the Vietnamese people. Nowadays, more and more young people are turning to the art of calligraphy. There, they indulge their passion for words, convey positive messages through the art of expressing words and contribute to preserving the traditional culture of the nation.

Dinh Cong Thanh Minh with his passion for traditional calligraphy. Photo: XUAN HAU

Calligraphical works are those featuring stylized words in Vietnamese, Chinese and even English or any other language that one’s heart desires. The content, usually wishes, quotes or verses, is written in the form of calligraphy with a brush using a special kind of ink. In the good old days, Tet was when ‘ong do’, a Vietnamese noun referring to male teachers usually of a senior age, would make calligraphical works upon people’s request. The tradition is today revived, with young calligraphers acting as ong do and selling their works.

In reality, an elegant hobby of playing with words in such an artistic way that is gradually disappearing in the hustle and bustle of contemporary life every time Tet and Spring come. However, in recent years, with a passion for calligraphy, young ‘ong do’ have inherited the legacy of their ancestors, wearing traditional Vietnamese costumes, bringing the beauty of words down to the streets and contributing to preserving the tradition of ‘cho chu’ (giving calligraphical letters) to the Vietnamese people during Spring.

After more than 10 years of self-study and research on calligraphy, Dinh Cong Thanh Minh, 21, a student at the University of Science and Education under the University of Da Nang - UD highly appreciates the unique values of Vietnamese calligraphy, especially the art of writing Confucian characters. Minh came to calligraphy by chance at the age of 11 when his family took him to pagodas.

Having a passion for the ‘flying characters’ carved on royal tablets and parallel sentences in pagodas, Minh began to research materials and practice writing himself with strong passion and determination.

In the early days of writing calligraphy, Minh was always concerned with each detail. Every day outside of school, he spent much time practicing calligraphy. Then, thanks to the highly-inviting characters, Minh was able to express his consciousness and his own contemplation of life.

Starting with Vietnamese calligraphy, Minh gradually found the beauty and soul of the characters in the traditional calligraphy. He always believes that the art of calligraphy belongs to ancestors and only when do the calligraphy can he better understands the core values that his ancestors passed on.

According to Minh, to have a beautiful calligraphy, the writer must put his heart into the artwork. Besides, thanks to calligraphy, Minh has a peaceful mind, training himself to be calm before every action. Therefore, "Tam An" is also the pen name that the young ‘ong do’ Dinh Cong Thanh Minh chooses every time he creates calligraphical works.

For each calligrapher, there must be 4 indispensable items: pen, inkstone, paper and ink. These are also known as the ‘four treasures’ to help the calligrapher pour his heart into each letter.

In order to satisfy his passion for the art of calligraphy, Minh has worked hard to collect precious items with ancient materials. On holidays, Tet, cultural activities of the school, class or pagodas, Minh usually enthusiastically write in calligraphy. Seeing his son's passion for calligraphy, Mr. Dinh Cong Lang, father of Dinh Cong Thanh Minh, always supports, encourages and helps his son pursue his passion.

Another ‘ong do’ is Ngo Duc Hai, 23, a resident in Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang. In his perspective, calligraphy is like a spiritual food, a soul mate. When he was a 10th grade student, Hai had a special love for flying calligraphy.

Spending a lot of time practicing calligraphy, over the years, Hai’s handwriting and the verses in calligraphy have become a passion, a job that can help support himself.

With calligraphy, Hai has the opportunity to participate in charity activities such as presenting calligraphical works to voluntary blood donors, patients under treatment at the hospital, or New Year's Eve activities, culture, festivals and other occasions.

Everywhere, indulging in his passion for calligraphy, Hai feels very happy and proud to receive compliments, admiration and the desire to spread the love of traditional culture to everyone. Besides doing calligraphy, Hai also opens online classes for those who share the same passion and want to learn about calligraphy.

Ngo Duc Hai participates in creating calligraphical works on the first day of the new year. Photo: X.HAU

“When I was young, I only knew about the calligrapher practicing on Tet holiday on TV. Now, fate has brought me to calligraphy. I have learned a lot about Vietnamese culture through traditional words, helping me to regulate my personality when communicating with people. Not only Vietnamese calligraphy, sometimes I also write in English calligraphy for foreign tourists who love this art. My wish is to connect more young people to know about calligraphy through workshops to exchange experiences and spread more love of calligraphy to everyone.”, said Hai.

For Le Dinh Nhat, 24, an architect) who loves art, besides his main job, calligraphy has become his passion. In 2019, when he came to Da Nang to study at university, Nhat spent time researching, participating in calligraphy clubs and learning calligraphy.

In class, Nhat learned about culture, the layout and lines of Vietnamese calligraphy, which helped him perfect his handwriting. Later, Nhat participated in exchange classes, instructing young people to learn about calligraphy.

During the sessions, Nhat imparted basic skills and gave gifts of encouragement to inspire young people love calligraphy more. In addition, Nhat said that at the beginning of each new year, he often writes the word ‘Peace’. This is also the word that many people ask for with wishes and desires for themselves and their families during each Tet holiday and Spring.

People enjoy watching Le Dinh Nhat doing the calligraphy art. Photo: XUAN HAU

“Since the day I have enjoyed the calligraphy, I have felt something attractive. There are many young people like me who love calligraphy but need a little more passion to pursue it. To write a soulful calligraphy, the calligrapher needs passion, skill and art. To have each beautiful sentence, in addition to the skills of writing and constructing the layout, they must also "breathe" their emotions into each detail of the work. When the mind is truly calm, the hand can create soulful calligraphy, expressing the principles of the ancients and honoring Vietnamese culture," Nhat confided.

With the passion for humanistic beauty in each letter, through the talented pens of young ‘ong do’ such as Thanh Minh, Duc Hai, Dinh Nhat and many others have breathed new life into the traditional Vietnamese art of calligraphy, thereby, contributing to preserving the unique cultural feature of ‘asking for and offering calligraphical letters’ every time Tet and Spring comes.

Reporting by XUAN HAU - Translating by ANH THU