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"Every year the peach blossoms bloom"
I see the old scholar again.
Display Chinese ink and red paper.
"On a busy street with many people passing by."
Every year, when the peach blossoms bloom profusely in the streets, locals and tourists alike flock to tranquil spaces or ancient temples to respectfully "ask for calligraphy." The custom of asking for calligraphy at the beginning of the year is not merely a feng shui ritual, but has become a journey back to the roots of knowledge, where the ink on red paper reflects the aspirations of a studious nation.
For generations, in the Vietnamese psyche, written characters have not only been a means of recording but also an embodiment of character, intellect, and moral principles. "First calligraphy, second painting, third ceramics, fourth bonsai," the Vietnamese have preserved the core value of the tradition of requesting calligraphy at the beginning of spring, becoming a connecting thread between traditional values and the aspirations of the younger generation.
"Handwriting reflects character"
Asking for calligraphy at the beginning of the year is a beautiful cultural tradition deeply rooted in the "Respect for Teachers and Morality" tradition. In the past, people would seek out learned scholars and teachers of high moral character to request calligraphy to display in the most prominent place in their homes. Those requesting calligraphy not only hoped for a work of art to decorate their homes, but more importantly, they sought the blessings, virtue, and wisdom of the calligrapher.
Dr. Nguyen Anh Hong, a cultural researcher, shared that this act is sacred because each character is a teaching, a "guide" for the journey throughout the year. For students, characters like "Minh" (Intelligence), "Tri" (Wisdom), and "Dang Khoa" (Success in exams) are always top choices, hoping for academic success. Meanwhile, middle-aged people turn to the characters "Tam" (Heart), "Duc" (Virtue), and "Nhan" (Patience) to pray for peace and clarity in the face of life's challenges. Businesspeople, in particular, cherish the characters "Tin" (Trust), "Loc" (Prosperity), and "Phat" (Development) – essential values in modern business.
The calligraphy is usually written on red paper because, according to folk beliefs, red symbolizes good fortune. Therefore, during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), everything such as peach blossoms, couplets, and lucky money envelopes are red. Through each stroke, good wishes for a happy and peaceful new year are interwoven into the graceful brushstrokes. Each character written by the calligrapher is not only a work of calligraphic art but also reveals the heart, personality, soul, and creativity of each individual.
Amidst the tranquil atmosphere of the historical site, the New Year's "calligraphy" journey is not only a ritual for good fortune but also a pilgrimage to rediscover the roots of knowledge.
Therefore, among all artistic pursuits, calligraphy is the most difficult and also the most refined. Those who create calligraphy are people with a good heart, moral character, virtue, and noble spirit. The beauty of calligraphy lies not only in the beauty of its lines and composition but also in the harmonious combination of calligraphy, music, and painting, heart, mind, and spirit.
There are five calligraphic styles (writing forms) in calligraphy: seal script, clerical script, regular script, running script, and cursive script. Seal script is an ancient style of calligraphy, while clerical script is a simpler style than seal script. Both of these styles are frequently used in writing horizontal scrolls and couplets.
The tradition of asking for calligraphy has become a connecting thread between generations, conveying aspirations for a peaceful new year.
Regular script is more standardized and easier to write, but still requires neat and tidy strokes. This is the most familiar and widely used style of calligraphy. Cursive script has the most free and flowing strokes, but it is the most difficult to write. Running script is a style derived from cursive script but is simpler and easier to understand.
In calligraphy, the writer must employ many skillful techniques, using their wrist gracefully to create soft or strong strokes depending on the content and meaning of the characters or couplets, while still ensuring a harmonious and eye-catching composition with elegant lines and varying shades of light and dark, like a painting. Therefore, becoming a calligrapher requires a thorough understanding of character structure, knowledge of some phonetic rules of characters, and consistent, diligent practice.
From ancient times to the present day, the tradition of seeking calligraphy at the beginning of the year reflects the love of learning and respect for teachers, and is also a beautiful cultural tradition of generations of Vietnamese people during the Lunar New Year. Couplets and greetings written in ink on red or yellow paper are spiritual gifts to welcome the new year, expressing the hopes and aspirations of the spring. Vietnamese calligraphy does not lose its ancient charm; on the contrary, it makes the meaning of the characters more accessible and easier to understand for the general public. The graceful brushstrokes retain the serene and noble character of the art form.
Amidst the solemn and sacred atmosphere of the old Imperial Academy, "the national spirit shines brightly on the gilded paper" through the masterful calligraphy of the new scholars.
