Speaking of the lotus, one cannot forget the soul of the Vietnamese nation. Since 1049, King Ly Anh Tong built the One Pillar Pagoda with the pure Vietnamese architecture of the Lotus Platform, associated with the artistic concept "Value in quality, not quantity." The lotus has become a cultural symbol embodying the spirit and character of the Vietnamese people.
Institute of Economics - Culture and Arts with the glass portrait of Uncle Ho made from lotus flowers
In the Ho Chi Minh era, the lotus is also associated with the image of Uncle Ho, the beloved leader of the Vietnamese nation. The verse "Thap Muoi is the most beautiful lotus, Vietnam is the most beautiful with Uncle Ho's name" deeply engraved in the hearts of the Vietnamese people, symbolizes the connection between the lotus and Uncle Ho.
In 2024, on the occasion of the 134th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth (19/5/1890 - 19/5/2024); 55 years of implementing his sacred will (1969 - 2024); 70 years of the liberation of the capital (10/10/1954 - 10/10/2024), and the celebration of major national and capital holidays, the Hanoi People's Committee organized the first Hanoi Lotus Festival. This event aims to honor the tangible and intangible cultural values of the lotus in Vietnamese life, while also promoting the economic value of the lotus plant in building new rural areas and civilized urban areas.
The portrait of Uncle Ho viewed closely, each pixel is a small lotus flower photo
With great respect for President Ho Chi Minh and love for the timeless beauty of the lotus, artisans, artists, businessmen, and researchers from the Institute of Economics - Culture and Arts planned to create “The glass portrait of Uncle Ho made from lotus flowers” measuring 1.70m in width x 2.50m in length, made of 2 cm thick tempered glass, assembled from 54x36 = 1944 photos of lotus flowers taken from various regions. The portrait includes a QR Code containing information about its meaning and connection to President Ho Chi Minh's life and career.
The authors of the portrait are members of the Institute of Economics - Culture and Arts, including: Journalist Vuong Xuan Nguyen, Distinguished Teacher Pham Hong Vinh, Photographers Hoang Van, Truong Giang, Tran Minh Phuong, Dao Minh Xuyen, Tran Manh Thuong, Nguyen Gia Khanh, Nguyen Tien, Vu The Chien, and Pham Van Dong.
Over 600,000 copyrighted photos of lotus flowers were selected to find the most suitable works for the portrait of Uncle Ho
Journalist Vuong Xuan Nguyen, Director of the Institute of Economics - Culture and Arts, said that the portrait of Uncle Ho was assembled from nearly two thousand lotus photos taken by the Institute’s artisans and artists over six months with steps including: sketching ideas, collecting lotus flower photos, arranging photos, digitizing photo data, transferring to glass material, and completing the work. The artisans and artists selected from hundreds of thousands of artistic photos of lotus flowers taken at lotus ponds across the country. Notably, some photos were chosen from the precious lotus photo archive by photographer Hoang Van over 30 years and from the lotus variety photo archive by Associate Professor Dr. Dang Van Dong, Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Vegetable and Fruit Research, collected over 25 years.
The work will be displayed by the Hanoi Lotus Festival organizers from July 12-16, 2024, at the Tay Ho district's Creative Cultural Space, Hanoi. It will then be respectfully presented to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to serve the public and international visitors. The Hanoi Lotus Festival 2024 not only honors the lotus but also allows people and visitors to remember and express their infinite respect for President Ho Chi Minh and affirm the sustainable cultural values of the Vietnamese nation. The impressive glass portrait of Uncle Ho made from lotus flowers was named "Thang Long Ky Anh Van Sen" by calligrapher Le Thien Ly, with the couplet: "Ten thousand lotus flowers make Uncle Ho's image, Vietnamese people, hundreds of millions, remember his gratitude."
A song about the lotus titled "Tình Sen" (music by People's Artist Huong Giang, lyrics by Vuong Xuan Nguyen) was composed on this occasion to honor the eternal beauty of the lotus and praise President Ho Chi Minh's great career for the Vietnamese nation and progressive humanity worldwide.
