Economy

Calligraphers who write on fruits are busy fulfilling orders for Tet (Lunar New Year).

Hoai Thu • January 23, 2025 09:13

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake (2015), the group of calligraphers worked day and night, writing thousands of calligraphic characters to meet orders. Although the work only lasted about 10 days, it brought in a considerable income to spend during the Tet holiday.

ngoài bưởi anh Hà còn vẽ chữa thư pháp trên dưa hấu — The team of fruit calligraphy artists led by Mr. Ho Manh Ha in Vinh City has been operating for over 10 years. This unique profession is only active during the period leading up to the Lunar New Year, especially during the days from the Kitchen God Festival to around the 25th-28th of the lunar month. This year, the team received orders for 500 pomelos with calligraphy and about 1,000 watermelons with calligraphy written on them. Depending on the difficulty, material, and decorative patterns, the calligrapher is paid 15-25 thousand dong per character written on a pomelo or watermelon. (Photo: HT)

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Loc is one of the calligraphers who has been practicing the craft for over 10 years. Mr. Loc said that although the work only takes place for about 10 days at the end of December in the lunar calendar, it is quite busy, and during peak periods, his team works through the night to meet orders on time. Besides meeting deadlines, they must also meet other strict and meticulous requirements to produce a satisfactory product that meets customer demands, such as aesthetics, color, fruit shape, hygiene, and preservation of fresh fruit. (Photo: HT)

The group of artisans who maintain the tradition of writing calligraphy on fruits are all knowledgeable, talented, and passionate about calligraphy, painting, and the traditional cultural beauty of the nation. Photo: HT

Each pomelo, fully decorated, beautifully colored, well-proportioned, firm, and heavy, meets VietGAP quality standards and is priced at 80,000 - 100,000 VND upon delivery to customers. Pomelos with only written characters, without peach blossom decorations, and of moderate weight are priced at 80,000 VND, while larger, rounder, and more balanced pomelos with added peach blossom decorations are priced at 100,000 VND. All pomelos are ordered from a VietGAP-certified farm in Nghi Cong commune, Nghi Loc district. Photo: HT

rửa sạch qua 3 lần nước để da bưởi sáng màu hết vết mốc đen bám ở vỏ — After being imported, the pomelos are further sorted, discarding misshapen, soft, black-spotted, spongy, or lightweight fruits. Then, the fruits are washed three times to brighten the skin and remove any black mold, dried, and then transferred to the "production line" for writing on them. (Photo: HT)

bảo vệ cuống — To keep the fruit fresh and prevent it from wilting quickly, after the stem is trimmed, it is covered with a layer of damp cotton wool. Photo: HT

Tiền công vẽ thuê cho các cửa hàng 15-30 ngàn tuỳ chất liệuh và hoa văn — Each calligraphic character, painted with paint, must be left to dry naturally on the fruit's surface for 24 hours. Photo: HT

Mỗi ngày bổ sung nước 1 lần cho bông giữ ẩm — Each day, the worker adds water once to maintain the moisture of the cotton ball on the grapefruit stem, helping the fruit stay fresh longer. Photo: HT

The customers who order calligraphy from the group of artisans are mainly friends and regulars from many years ago, primarily in Vinh City. “The group only accepts orders for the number of fruits they receive in advance, and they stop accepting orders on the 26th of the lunar month to ensure timely delivery. After that, the group switches to writing calligraphy according to the orders of fruit vendors and distributors in Vinh City,” said Mr. Ho Manh Ha. Photo: HT

The most frequently requested calligraphic inscriptions are: "happiness," "prosperity," "longevity," "peace," "wealth," "success," "fortune," etc. VietGAP-certified pomelos, decorated with calligraphic inscriptions and cherry blossom motifs, weighing over 2kg and well-proportioned, are sold for 100,000 VND each. (Photo: HT)

Some regular customers even go to the homes of the members to choose fruit and place orders for personalized inscriptions. Photo: HT

Besides writing and decorating pomelos, Ho Manh Ha's team also decorates watermelons with calligraphy. Depending on the weight, each fully decorated watermelon costs between 100,000 and 150,000 VND. The watermelons are ordered from VietGAP-certified farms in the South. Photo: HT

Hoai Thu