L’Art d’Extrême-Orient
What did they find?
Let’s have a different look into of Vietnam history and culture, and discover the beauty of Vietnamese art and craft legacy.
We set out with the first visit at Saigon Fine Art Museum, where valuable galleries of Vietnamese art works are housed in a beautiful colonial building. The collections feature various art styles including lacquer paintings, woodcut paintings, Vietnamese ceramics, and also a collection of ancient Buddhist art.
From the museum, we stroll through a small street where time seems to halt since a century ago – an array of family-run shops selling antiques and all sorts of bric-a-brac of old wares.
Next, we visit a calligrapher’s workshop to see how the ancient brush techniques are used for today’s Roman text, and as much interesting, we learn about how the Vietnamese iconize life philosophy with those characters.
Last stop will be at a colorful lacquer art workshop where the Vietnamese ancient craft is well preserved by some homely looking but talented artisans. Marvel at the art pieces with elaborate inlay work using mother of pearl or sea shells. Drive back to the hotel and end the tour.