Fierce contest among calligraphers for Tet honours

Twelve calligraphers have survived a tough test ahead of Tet to reach the shortlist in a competition to find the nation’s best.

The calligraphy competition

Of the 48 calligraphers who began in the competition, at the Temple of Literature on January 31, only 12 remained after the challenge and will go on to the finals at Ho Van or Literature Lake over the Tet holiday.

Contestants were required to write four to five words of Han or Vietnamese hieroglyph, or Vietnamese script, about study or spring within 15 minutes.

Tran Quoc Chi, a member of the organisation board, said the competition was aimed at changing unprompted calligraphy activities into standard operations, improving calligraphy quality as well as organising standard calligraphy street events.

This is the second time when the Hanoi municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has organised a calligraphy festival during the Tet holidy. However, this is the first time calligraphers have competed for honours.

“The competition has given a rating on my calligraphy, so I can uphold my strengths and improve my weaknesses,” said Nguyen Trong Dien and Nguyen Van Chien, calligraphers from Hung Yen Province’s Association of Han and Vietnamese Hieroglyph.

Many tourists gathered to watch the calligraphers at work. “Such an event is really significant in preserving Vietnamese traditional calligraphy,” said Italian visitor Villa Paolo.

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