HÀ NỘI — To adapt to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic that limit in-person contact, calligraphers for the annual spring calligraphy festival will offer their services virtually for the first time.

Having words drawn by a calligrapher has long been a part of Vietnamese culture for Lunar New Year.

The annual spring calligraphy festival held at Văn (Literature) Lake besides Ha Noi’s Văn Miếu (Temple of Literature) has become a destination of many locals arriving to get calligraphy as good luck for the year.

The event normally last until the 15th day of the first lunar month or longer.

Due to the pandemic in the capital city, the organisers have switched to virtual platforms to meet demand.

The highlight of the festival this year is the interaction on Zoom application between the calligraphers and the customers. The virtual calligraphy festival will open at 9am tomorrow at duxuanonline.com.

According to Tăng Thị Thu Ha, a representative of the organisation board, the Vietnamese calligraphers, despite still wearing traditional turbans and long dresses, have followed the trend of digital transformation in an effort to develop and preserve Vietnamese culture.

Moreover, the festival is organised by members of the organisation connecting global trade so that the calligraphers not only write for people in 63 provinces but also 79 countries around the world.

“Calligraphers tend to be associated with ancient and traditional things. Now we still preserve and spread Vietnamese traditional values but in cyberspace. For us, this is a new experience and we are also revelling in adapting,” said calligrapher Nguyễn Đuc Vọng

The virtual festival also features nostalgic spaces selling a variety of regional specialties, traditional games or exhibitions of folk paintings.

The Literature Temple hosts the Imperial Academy (Quốc Tử Giam), Viet Nam’s first national university. It was built in 1070 under the reign of King Lý Thanh Tong (1054-1072). The temple is located to the south of Thăng Long Citadel.

Before and during the Lunar New Year, calligraphists often gather outside the temple and write wishes in Han (Chinese script) and Nom (Vietnamese ideographic script) characters. These works of art are given away as gifts, or are used as home decorations on special occasions. VNS