The beauty of Quynh village

(Baonghean)If the "profession of learning" has made Quynh Doi commune (Quynh Luu district) famous for its academic achievements and immortalized in folk songs like "Bac Ha: Hanh Thien/Hoan Dien: Quynh Doi," then the annual calligraphy ceremony in Quynh village, both in the past and present, always reminds us of the beautiful traditions of our homeland, urging our descendants to always strive to study well and contribute to society.

According to Mr. Phan Huu Thinh (86 years old, former senior expert of the Central Propaganda Department, currently living in Quynh Doi commune) – who has published nearly 10 books about Quynh Doi – Quynh Doi commune has long been in the history of the country as a place of culture and learning, famous for its academic achievements and scholarship. The New Year's calligraphy ceremony here has always been a beautiful custom with traditional values, preserved and promoted by descendants and the village community. Although the tradition of "opening the pen" (the first writing of the year) may have been performed in different forms over time, its sacred value and meaning of "encouraging learning and talent" have been preserved... Mr. Thinh recounted: "When I was little, I often saw my grandfather, Mr. Phan Phu – who passed the baccalaureate exam in 1915 – perform the 'opening the pen' ceremony at the beginning of the new year. Every year on the morning of the third day of Tet (Lunar New Year), my grandfather would choose a time considered auspicious to grind the ink, spread a sheet of white paper on the table in the middle of the house, and then carefully and meticulously write a line of text or a poem in Chinese or Vietnamese script, prepared beforehand; each sentence and each word carried auspicious meanings, wishing for a prosperous and lucky new year for his family, hometown, and country."

Teacher Nguyen Ngoc Quy is teaching his grandchild how to write.

In the old days, the New Year's calligraphy ceremony in Quynh village was only performed in educated families, such as those of scholars or those who had passed examinations. Within these families, only one person with the "best handwriting" or the highest responsibility would perform the ceremony; this person not only wrote for themselves but also for their children, relatives, and even neighboring families of illiterate farmers. Therefore, the ceremony became a sacred ritual. Both the giver and receiver of the calligraphy highly valued each word written. That was the ancient custom; today's ceremony in Quynh Doi has undergone some changes.

The innovation in the New Year's Calligraphy Ceremony in Quynh Doi now is that it is no longer a private matter for each family, but has been organized into a vibrant and practical movement in each village and the entire commune. For nearly 10 years, along with the progress of the homeland and community life in all aspects, movements in general and the education promotion movement in particular have developed. The calligraphy ceremony in Quynh Doi has been organized at the village level and for the past three years at the commune level… After the New Year's Eve, the education promotion association encourages each family in Quynh Doi to have their children of school age participate in the New Year's calligraphy ceremony. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the education promotion branches in the 8 villages of the commune organize the ceremony with the participation of students and members of the education promotion association. Ten students and five members with beautiful handwriting and good intentions are selected to participate in the commune-level ceremony held on the morning of the second day of Tet at the Quynh Doi village communal house.

On the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year, students, members of the education promotion association, and many villagers gathered at the village communal house to perform the traditional "first writing" ceremony. Each participating student received a gift of pens and notebooks. The ceremony wasn't limited to students and education promotion association members; everyone was welcome to participate. In the two previous ceremonies held in Quynh Doi commune, 300-500 people participated. Paper and pens were distributed, and the organizers provided the assignment. The usual prompt was to "write a prose or poem praising the beauty of our homeland and country today in the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script." After completing their work, each person submitted their work to the organizers, who would grade it based on "good writing and calligraphy" and award prizes. Those who receive the award consider it a great honor… Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Quy, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Quynh Doi Commune Education Promotion Association, said: Along with the "Drumbeat for Studying," the New Year's Calligraphy Ceremony is one of the good ways to promote the learning movement in our commune. The effectiveness of the education promotion movement is very clear when the number of students passing exams with high scores in the commune this year is higher than last year, and it is encouraging that every family cares about and prioritizes their children's education.

Text and photos: Thanh Chung