Tigers chasing away bad luck, butterflies and roosters standing in for joy and vitality — classic Korean folk art motifs are getting a high-tech makeover in Hà Nội. The Living World Around Us, now on at the Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology, reimagines traditional minhwa folk paintings through video, motion graphics and sound, turning centuries-old imagery into a walk-through digital experience.
The show draws on collections from three major Korean institutions: the National Folk Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and the National Palace Museum of Korea. Rather than hanging canvases on walls, the curators let painted wildlife and plants move, glow and respond — light and sound doing the work that paper and ink once did. The underlying idea stays the same: for generations, Korean artists packed wishes for health, peace and abundance into depictions of everyday animals and flowers, and this exhibition translates those messages for a modern, Vietnamese audience.
It is also a milestone event. The exhibition was organised by the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange and the Korean Cultural Centre in Việt Nam to celebrate 20 years since the centre opened in 2006. At the opening, centre director Park Chan A spoke of hoping the paintings' wishes for peace would resonate locally, while Nguyễn Phương Hòa of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism highlighted the centre's role in cultural exchanges between the two countries. Korea and Việt Nam, though distinct cultures, share a deep attachment to nature and a common hope for harmony — a point the curators lean into.
Beyond watching, visitors can get hands-on. The museum hosts minhwa folk painting workshops, giving travellers a chance to try the style themselves rather than just view it. That makes the show a solid stop for anyone in Hà Nội with a spare half-day, especially those interested in East Asian art or looking for something indoors and air-conditioned between temple visits.
The exhibition runs until 29 November at the Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology, which is itself worth the trip out to Cầu Giấy district — the museum's extensive displays on Việt Nam's 54 ethnic groups pair neatly with the Korean showcase for a two-cultures-in-one-afternoon visit. Admission to the museum is modest, and the digital art format tends to appeal to families and photographers as much as to art lovers.
For travellers, the appeal is straightforward: you get a taste of Korean culture without leaving Việt Nam, and a fresh look at how folk art can survive the digital age. If your trip falls before the end of November, it's an easy cultural add-on to any Hà Nội itinerary.
