As Vatican City has its ceiling muralin the Sistine Chapel, Hue City hasCuu Long An Van, a mural on the ceiling of Dieu De Pagodas hall.
Perhaps the Vietnamese masterpiece mural, called in English ‘Nine Dragons Rollick in Clouds’, could not be as magnificent as the mural in Sistine, but it is obvious to some that the painter Phan Van Tanh was at the same talent level as Michelangalo.
Michelangalo lay with his face to the ceiling to paint the Sistine. Tanh did the same, but he held brushes with his feet to complete several sections of the mural.
Included in the royal record is an account that during a visit by Khai Dinh, the second to last king of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) to the site, Tanh ignored the royal kowtow.
Tanh was the author of the country’s two oldest murals depicting a similar topic, one on the Dieu De Pagoda’s hall ceiling and another on the ceiling of Khai Dinh Mausoleum.
At the time when the king paid his royal visit, Tanh was lying on the scaffolding to paint Buu Hoa Long Van in Khai Dinh Mausoleum. He explained to the king that his ignorance of royal courtesy rules was due to his neglected costume at a construction site as well as his devotion to a royal art work .
The king also considered the artist’s use of his feet to hold a brush during his painting process as disrespectful to the royal work. Tanh replied that the mural was on the ceiling and the painter ought to keep himself far enough to view details of the mural as an audience would. The use of foot was a must, according to Tanh.
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Esta historia es de la edición October - November 2018 de Vietnam Heritage.
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TYPICAL TRADE VILLAGES GOING “EXTINCT”?
Ha Thai Village of Thuong Tin District of Hanoi started its traditional paint trade in the 17th century. In the 30s of last century, the paint village of Ha Thai learned polishing techniques and the use of materials such as egg shell and snail. It was during this time that elder Dinh Van Thanh of Thai Ha Village was invited to an exposition in France to demonstrate the art of lacquer painting.
Tourism remains far away from Hue village's reach
Villagers in the 550-year-old Phuoc Tich Village on the outskirts of former imperial Hue City have dreamed of bumper tourism in the village for 10 years, but their dreams have yet to come to fruition.
Traditional wedding of the White Yao people
Having a son coming of age, a White Yao family begins selecting a wife for him among the White Yao young girls in the same hamlet or one nearby.
Xin Man at a glance
In April, the last fiery flowers of the cotton trees spark on mountain slopes. With the long-brewing desire inside to conquer the scenic tourist path from Bac Ha (Lao Cai) to Xin Man, the most desolate highland district of Ha Giang Province, we hit the road on a beautiful weekend.
Silver carving by Po Ho Creek
Following the tunes (“Spring comes to Muong Hum hamlet high up the mountains with heart-rocking distant singing…” ) of talented composer Nguyen Tai Tue, we come to Seo Po Ho hamlet to visit Red Yao artisans diligently blowing life into silver, creating wonders of sophisticated craftsmanship, worthily contributing to the cultural traditions of their tribe.
The fabulous Phu Tho tea hills
Today’s Phu Tho Province was the land chosen by Hung Kings, the first rulers of Vietnam, to be their capital. Considered the cradle of the Viet people, this area still preserves the temples of Hung Kings and many other historical relics such as pagodas and shrines.
Bridges that distill the love of the native land
Every Vietnamese has a bridge to be nostalgic about.
EXPLORING PU MAT CONSERVATION ZONE
Pu Mat National Park belongs to Nghe An Province. At 93,113 ha, it is the only remaining primeval forest in Northern Vietnam.
Cultural touches grieve locals of the royal city
Culture has served as the most sensitive part to Hue natives and they are always ready to fight for the cultural values that have existed in a long period of time in this former imperial capital city.
A DIVINE FLAGPOLE OF THE VIETNAMESE
Lung Cu Peak of Dragon Mountain, rises 1470m above sea level and belongs to Lung Cu Commune, Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province. Sharing a border with China, this mountain has witnessed the long history of the Vietnamese fighting against foreign aggressors. That is why Lung Cu is considered a sacred place of the Vietnamese people.
