Phuc Giang School woodblocks, a UNESCO Documentary Heritage by Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific, are on show at an exhibition in Hanoi that opened on May 23.

Woodblocks of Phuc Giang School 

On the display are nearly 100 exhibits, including documents, books, pictures, translated versions and reproductions of the woodblocks. 

The woodblocks were used to print materials in Chinese and Nom (a classical vernacular script of the Vietnamese language) for learning and teaching at Phuc Giang school, a private school set up by the Nguyen Huy family in the central province of Ha Tinh in mid-18th century.

Each individual woodblock, 25-30 cm in length, 25-28 cm in width and 1-2 cm in thickness, is a unique work of art, aesthetically carved with beautiful calligraphic styles. 

The total set originally had 2,000 blocks, but many have been damaged or destroyed over time. Presently, the set comprises 394 well-preserved blocks. They are the only ancient woodblocks created by a family for education preserved till today in Vietnam.

The exhibition will run until May 30.

VNA