Visitors request calligraphy at the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám), a distinctive traditional cultural practice at the start of the year to pray for good fortune, wisdom and peace. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

HÀ NỘI — Each Lunar New Year, the grounds of the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám), Việt Nam’s first university and the Special National Relic, come alive with a familiar cultural tableau: elderly scholars seated beside inkstones and red paper, brush in hand. For generations of Hanoians and visitors alike, this ritual has marked the arrival of spring.

Those who request calligraphy cradle the freshly inked sheets, still fragrant with new ink, entrusting them with hopes for a peaceful year, academic progress and smooth careers. The written characters are more than “spring blessings”, they carry messages about learning, personal responsibility and devotion to the nation.

According to calligraphy scholars, the custom of requesting characters at the start of the year dates back centuries. In earlier times, when access to education was limited, literacy itself was a treasured asset. The imperial examination system was once regarded as the most honorable path to self-realisation and social advancement. Each spring, people sought out learned teachers not merely for good fortune, but to express aspirations for a better life and for their children’s academic success.

Visitors take photos with the calligraphy at Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

Calligrapher Kiều Quốc Khánh, head of the Việt Tâm Bút Calligraphy Club and director of the Tập Hiền Training Centre in Hà Nội, said the practice embodies enduring cultural values. It reflects the Vietnamese reverence for learning, respect for the written word, and a living connection between the nation’s literary heritage and contemporary life.

Visitors often request characters associated with study, perseverance, professional success or peace, while entrepreneurs may seek words symbolising prosperity and smooth business ventures. Whatever the choice, each character carries a moral message and a personal aspiration for the year ahead.

Khánh noted that although Vietnamese writing systems have evolved from classical Chinese characters to Nôm and eventually to the modern Quốc ngữ alphabet, the cultural significance attached to the written word has remained constant throughout the country’s history of nation-building and defence.

The tradition of requesting and giving characters at the start of spring remains a cherished cultural beauty in Việt Nam during the Lunar New Year. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

With more than two decades dedicated to researching and practising Quốc ngữ calligraphy, Khánh seeks to inherit the refined techniques of Chinese and Sino-Nôm traditions while adapting them to the Latin-based script. This approach ensures that contemporary Quốc ngữ calligraphy is not merely an aesthetic form, but a continuation and renewal of tradition, helping to bring national cultural values into modern life.

Young calligrapher Phạm Vũ Lộc, a researcher at the Vietnam National Space Center under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, has been invited for nearly a decade to write calligraphy at the Thái Học Courtyard of the Temple of Literature.

For him, the invitation is both an honour and a source of pride, offering the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cultural practice each Tết. It also represents recognition of years of disciplined study and dedication.

Reflecting on the custom’s deeper meaning, Lộc emphasised that requesting calligraphy carries no mystical or superstitious connotations. Displaying a calligraphic word at home is a way of setting intentions at the start of the year, a visible reminder of the goals one commits to pursue in the months ahead.

Hanging a calligraphic word at home serves as a reminder of the goals and aspirations set at the beginning of the year. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

Demand at the Temple of Literature is strikingly diverse. From final-year students preparing for graduation and university entrance examinations to working adults and the elderly, each visitor arrives with a personal aspiration: academic success, career advancement, health or peace. For Lộc, the most meaningful part of offering calligraphy lies in listening to these wishes, sensing through each request the dynamism and complexity of social life.

Over the past decade, despite rapid modernisation, the hopes expressed in calligraphic characters have continued to centre on enduring values such as prosperity, well-being and tranquillity. At the Temple of Literature, a long-standing symbol of Việt Nam’s scholarly tradition, most requests relate to study and examinations, particularly from families with children approaching pivotal academic milestones. Whenever inscribing words associated with learning and achievement, Lộc gently reminds young people that calligraphy is not a talisman. Success, he says, rests on diligence, perseverance and determination.

Foreign visitors request calligraphy at the Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

From a researcher’s perspective, Lộc considers the tradition of requesting and presenting calligraphy at the start of spring to be a refined cultural practice that continues to be revitalised in contemporary life. Its persistence reflects the enduring esteem in which Vietnamese society holds education and the pursuit of learning as an honourable path.

At a time when the country is advancing scientific and technological development, innovation and deeper international integration, investment in knowledge remains the most sustainable foundation for both individual progress and national prosperity. In that sense, the custom of exchanging calligraphy during the Lunar New Year is not simply a preservation of heritage, but a reaffirmation of Việt Nam’s long-standing respect for scholarship and intellect.

Renewing the spirit of learning

The Spring Calligraphy Festival for the Year of the Horse 2026 is being held from February 11 to March 1 across the Hồ Văn area and the wider Temple of Literature complex.

A central feature of the festival is the calligraphy space with 35 tents, accompanied by a diverse programme of heritage education activities, reading areas, traditional craft exhibitions, folk games, lion dances and performances of traditional arts.

Large crowds of visitors visit the Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

Lê Xuân Kiêu, Director of the Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám Centre for Cultural and Scientific Activities, affirmed that the festival is not merely an early-spring cultural gathering but also an opportunity to honour the nation’s tradition of learning and moral cultivation, contributing to a healthy, civilised and safe cultural environment for both residents and visitors.

This year’s festival is held under the theme “National Learning”, marking the 950th anniversary of the establishment of Quốc Tử Giám. According to Lê Trung Kiên, Chief Instructor of Nhân Mỹ School and Permanent Deputy Head of the festival’s organising committee, the theme reflects both its historical resonance and its contemporary educational vision.

He explained that etymologically, “quốc” denotes the nation, while “học” refers to the cultivation of knowledge and character for the benefit of society. The theme therefore carries layered significance. It first reaffirms Việt Nam’s commitment to building a learning society, expressed through an education system that spans from early childhood to postgraduate study.

A family with the calligraphy at the Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

Second, the theme of “National Learning” underscores the goal of nurturing human resources equipped with intellect, integrity and a sense of purpose, ready to contribute to national construction and development. Just as traditional scholarship once produced scholar-officials devoted to the country and its people, contemporary education is expected to cultivate knowledgeable, ethical and responsible citizens capable of serving society across all fields and regions.

Third, the theme highlights Việt Nam’s long-standing reverence for learning and the written word, encouraging the development of a lifelong learning society inspired by the spirit of “learning without end”. Education is not confined to classrooms or textbooks; it is an ongoing process of cultivating both intellect and character. In this way, the festival reaffirms that people, grounded in knowledge and morality, remain the decisive factor in building a strong and prosperous Việt Nam.

Kiên stressed that requesting calligraphy at the start of the year is a meaningful tradition, but the written character itself is only a source of moral encouragement. What matters most is how individuals translate that word into concrete goals and sustained self-improvement throughout the year. Without genuine learning and self-discipline, any wish remains symbolic; only through sincere effort can the value of the written word be fully realised. — VNS