Hue Museum of Royal Antiques. Photo: Ngoc Ha

The exhibition about Emperor Thieu Tri (in reign 1841 – 1847) comprises cultural and literary works. These works include the famous Twenty Scenes of the Ancient Capital (a series of poems praising the beauty of 20 landmarks of the ancient capital) attached with currently-existing landmarks and some royals-composed poems carved at Long An Palace, which is part of the heritage of Literature on the Royal Architecture, recognized by the UNESCO as a heritage of Memory of the World in the Asia-Pacific region.

The exhibition also introduces Emperor Thieu Tri and the highlights in the decorative style of the royal arts through the sample china and phap-lam (enameled bronze) that had special patterns typical of the Thieu Tri Reign.

In 2019, The Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts, Hue Sub-Institute (VICAS) celebrated the 100th anniversary of L’Art à Huê (1919 – 2019) and the 20th anniversary of the Sub-Institute (1999 – 2019) by introducing two important works, namely, The Arts and Craftspeople of Hue Imperial City (in October) and The Nguyen Dynasty Arts (in November). These two works are indicative of the laborious diligence and the ever-lasting love for Hue.

Making comments on the work The Nguyen Dynasty Arts by Nguyen Huu Thong (Literature Hub, Ho Chi Minh City General Publisher), Dr. Tran Dinh Hang, Head of VICAS, stated: “nurturing for decades, the ethnography researcher Nguyen Huu Thong contributed to fine arts many valuable works such as The Nguyen Dynasty Arts in Hue, Hue Fine Arts from the View of Its Significance and Decorative Symbols, and The Fine Arts of Nguyen Lords through the Tomb Relics, etc.”

The Organizers of Hue Festival 2020 have recently announced the graphics of the Four Royal Mascots: Long – Dragon, Ly – Unicorn, Quy – Turtle and Phung – Phoenix, which will appear on all media products at the 11th Hue Festival. The images of Dragon-Horse have been the symbol of Hue Festival logo.

Typical photos of Hue Festivals since 2000 will be the focus on the poster of Hue Festival 2020. The dominant color on the poster is the elegant, romantic purple of Hue, which is combined with the highlight metallic gold color to make an essence of luxury. The reconciliation of colors shows a harmony of traditional and modern elements of a heritage-rich city striving for integration.

Fine Art is the art of using principles of patches, colors and shapes to manifest the beauty. Hue Fine Art actually comprises the Fine Art of the Nguyen Dynasty in the ancient capital (palaces, monuments and tombs) and the folk art, typically the communal works (temples and pagodas, family worship halls, folk paintings and crafts).

The exhibition of “Emperor Thieu Tri and Hue Royal Life of Culture and Arts”, the publication of The Nguyen Dynasty Art, and the activities associated with media products about Hue Festival seem to be unrelated events. They are, in fact, indicative of great values in the determination and aspiration to explore and inherit the traditional creativity of Hue Fine Art in contemporary activities of culture and art.

By Dan Duy