12 types of Vietnamese folk paintings will be introduced from August 18 at the Museum of Hanoi on Pham Hung Street.

The exhibition aims to introduce the quintessence of Vietnamese folk painting with various works brought by collector Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa.

Besides showcasing works of some famous types such as Dong Ho, Kim Hoang, and Hang Trong, the exhibition will display the rare ones including Do the Nam Bo (spiritual paintings, burned to pray for health), and Thap vat (spiritual paintings printed from sculpted-wooden planks, only in black colour and burned for the dead).

The exhibition will also feature colourful Southern glass paintings, which came to Vietnam in the early of the 20th century when Chinese immigrants opened glass shops in Cho Lon and Saigon.

In the 1920s, the art form developed rapidly along with other crafts, spreading throughout six southern provinces. It has developed mass products with various themes such as God, Buddha worship, celebration and interior decorative painting. Some glass paintings were drawn with multi-coloured paint, or with mother of pearl, or combined with coating mercury on the glass surface. 

The exhibition will also introduce to visitors Sinh village paintings, which originates in Phu Vang district in Hue in about the 15th century, and Kim Hoang paintings – an art form combines both Dong Ho and Hang Trong style and originates from Hanoi's Hoai Duc suburban area in middle of the 18th century.

Paintings following Tho dong bang (spiritual folk paintings of amulets, sacred figures…), and Goi vai (spiritual paintings with silk background and some details produced by folding silk fabrics, which look like 3D figures) lines will also be exhibited at the event.

Some of these folk paintings had earlier been introduced at an exhibition held in February at the Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Centre.