Đông Hồ woodblock print “Rước Rồng” – The Dragon Procession | Artisan Nguyễn Hữu Đạo

A dragon with pearlescent scales glides above a festive procession: all the joy of the Vietnamese spring.

History and symbolism

The cartouche 迎龍 ("Nghênh long") announces "the welcoming of the dragon". Banners, gong and drum accompany the great procession of the spring festival; the signs 靜肅 and 迴避 command "silence and respect" and "make way". In the Kinh Bắc region, a land of village festivals, the dragon carried in the procession called for favorable rains and abundant harvests. Rước rồng is one of the two ancient images of the Đông Hồ dragon.

Craftsmanship

It comes from the workshop of Nguyễn Hữu Đạo, son and grandson of master artisans from Đông Hồ. The natural colors are pressed one by one with engraved wooden blocks, on dó paper coated with crushed shells (điệp), the black outline last. Red artisan seal. Hand-printed: slight variations from one copy to another.

Decoration & gift idea

Vertical and festive on its golden background, it adorns a hallway, an entrance or a living room. An ideal gift for someone born under the sign of the Dragon.

Đông Hồ print in brief

A Vietnamese heritage nearly five centuries old, the Đông Hồ popular print was born in the village of the same name, in Thuận Thành (Bắc Ninh province). Each image there is entirely handmade, from the drawing and engraving of the blocks to the printing, and its themes – wishes of happiness, scenes of daily life, history and worship – have made it the traditional image of Têt, the Lunar New Year. In December 2025, UNESCO inscribed this craftsmanship, which is still perpetuated by only a few families, on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Characteristics

• Format: 27 × 36 cm
• Orientation: Portrait (vertical)
• Technique: woodblock print (wood engraving), hand-printed
• Support: dó paper coated with shell powder (điệp)
• Natural pigments
• Signed with the seal of the artisan Nguyễn Hữu Đạo
• Sold without frame – the framing visible in the lifestyle photos is shown for illustrative purposes only
• Origin: Đông Hồ village, Thuận Thành, Bắc Ninh province, Vietnam