Vietnamese Arts & Music

Origins of Vietnamese Art

Vietnam’s art history begins around 10,000 years ago with some of the oldest pottery ever discovered. By the 8th century BCE, artists of the Dong Son culture were producing sophisticated pieces of bronze and iron. Perhaps most famous of these are the Dong Son bronze drums, many of which depict scenes of daily life from the time. They show a culture rich in textiles and metal goods, one preoccupied by both musicians, agriculture, and warfare.

The region that is now Vietnam fell under Chinese control in 111 BCE. The Chinese heavily influenced Vietnamese art for the next thousand years. They encouraged the arts of calligraphy, silk painting, woodblock prints, ceramics, and poetry. Even after the Vietnamese gained independence in 938 CE, they would continue to practice and refine these traditions.

Arts of Dynastic Vietnam

Some of the most distinctive arts of Vietnam appeared at this time, many of them related to music, drama, and puppetry. Water puppetry, for example, developed among flooded rice paddies in the 12th century. Its performers move wooden puppets floating on water with long sticks. Chinese opera, known in Vietnam as hát tuồng, grew popular in the 13th century. Supposedly, it arrived in Vietnam during the Mongol invasions, when the Vietnamese captured a Chinese opera troupe. Other forms of theater include Hátchèo satires and the more modern Cảilương operas. In earlier times, these plays were conducted by wandering troupes of performers. Today, they are most often seen on holidays or at special events.

Vietnamese Music and Dance

Vietnamese music and dance is similarly varied, drawing from both Chinese and local folk customs. Music developed along two lines—that of the common people, or Quan họ, and the music of the imperial court, or Ca trù. Among their instruments were two-stringed fiddles and guitars, as well as zithers, lutes, flutes, and drums. Singers might be accompanied by musicians and dancers or perform solo. Ca trù, performed by women for royal and mandarin audiences, fell out of favor in the 20th century but has seen a recent revival in tourist centers.

Vietnamese Literature

The ancient literature of Vietnam is somewhat lacking due to historical circumstances. In 1406, China again invaded and annexed the kingdom. As its armies moved through Vietnam, they systematically burned any books not related to religion. This destroyed much of the nation’s histories, poetry, and lore. A separate branch of literature, an oral tradition maintained by mostly illiterate peasants, survived. More recently,

Modern Arts of Vietnam

French colonial rule brought new perspectives and media to Vietnam. They introduced European-style painting, music, and literature. Today, Vietnam’s artists may draw from both Eastern and Western influences in their work. While folk music and dances are still performed, modern artists are more likely to work in painting, sculpture, film, and digital arts. Pop music is especially popular among young people. The genre competes with other Asian pop phenomena, including Japanese and Korean music.

References

Crawford, Ann Caddell. Customs and Culture of Vietnam. Tuttle Publishing. 2012.

FitzGerald Frances. Fire in the Lake. Little, Brown, May. 2009.

Goscha, Christopher. Vietnam: A New History. Basic Books. 2016.

McLeod, Mark W and Thi Dieu Nguyen. Culture and Customs of Vietnam. Greenwood Publishing. 2001.

Noppe, Catherine and Jean-François Hubert. Art of Vietnam. Parkstone International. 2018.

Olsen, Dale. Popular Music of Vietnam. Routledge. 2008.

Taylor, K.W. A History of the Vietnamese. Cambridge University Press. 2013.

“The World Factbook: Vietnam.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 12 July 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vm.html.

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