Đông Hồ woodcut print “Vinh Quy Bái Tổ” – The Laureate’s Triumphant Return

Parasols, banners and a caparisoned horse: an entire village celebrates its child who has become a doctor.

History and symbolism

The characters 榮歸拜祖 mean "returning covered in honors to pay respects to the ancestors". During the time of the mandarin examinations, the newly successful candidate returned to the village on horseback, preceded by parasol bearers and a sign marked 進士 (tiến sĩ, doctor), to pay tribute to his ancestors. The print exalts the love of study and gratitude towards the family.

Craftsmanship

Everything is handmade by Nguyễn Hữu Đạo, a fifteenth-generation Đông Hồ printmaker: dó paper coated with shell powder (điệp), natural pigments, and a woodblock engraved for each color. This craftsmanship has been inscribed since 2025 on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Artisan's seal. Hand-printed: slight variations from one copy to another.

Decoration & gift idea

Beautiful piece for an office or library, to give as a gift for a diploma, exam success or a promotion.

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 for 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: Landscape (horizontal)
• 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