VietNamNet Bridge – The Dong Ho traditional painting village
has no longer produced folk paintings but has become the largest provider of
votive products in the country.
Burning votive is always an annual hot topic whenever spring
festivals come. To learn and see how much votive products are in demand for the
occasion, we went to Dong Ho village in the day before the 15th day of the lunar
year.
The first impression when entering the village was too much votive products.
Running through the village road were votive stores where product were piled up
to the ceiling. Many trucks carried votive products out of the village.
It was hard to find a house in the village that exhibited Dong Ho folk paintings
at this time.
We went to the house of the famous artisan of Dong Ho village, Mr Nguyen Dang
Che. Only this man still sold Dong Ho paintings at this moment.
Che said Dong Ho Village both makes paintings and votive products. Making votive
papers usually blooms on the holiday while making paitings is often busy at the
end of the year. But for many years, making votive papers have strongly
developed in Dong Ho village.
Mr. Che is the only one who gets rich thanks to folk paintings in the village of
Dong Ho. Others get rich from selling votive products.
Going to Dong Ho village one can see how the big consumption of votive
products.
Mr Nguyen Dang Che – the only man who still sold Dong Ho
paintings at this moment.
Making a plane for the dead.
Cars from 4 to 9 seats.
A set of Ipad, iphone, and phone card for the
dead.
Air conditioners, washing machines, watches,
televisions, pots, pans, etc. are sold in sets.
Flashlights.
Army and police uniforms.
Stereo music players.
Washing machines.
Motorcycles.
Aircrafts for the dead.
A three-story house.
The center for collecting and preserving Dong Ho folk
paintings has also become a votive store.
Nguyen Hoang