“The Thread of Time”: Embroidery Art and Memories of Dong Khanh – Trung Vuong

A classic embroidery class that was once associated with Hanoi female students in the early 20th century was recreated in the ancient space of Trung Vuong School (formerly Dong Khanh) on August 12, 2025. The event “Thread of Time” was organized by the People’s Committee of Cua Nam Ward and Trung Vuong Secondary School in collaboration with artist Pham Ngoc Tram and artisan Vu Thi Tue, opening a journey connecting family memories with contemporary art.This school still retains many architectural and historical heritage values, especially the ancient lecture hall with traces of time and layers of memories from previous generations of female students.

The program consists of two parts: Art talk “Vietnamese embroidery and the story of Dong Khanh girls’ school” and a workshop on classic French lace embroidery. Participants will listen to stories about the embroidery heritage and directly experience the needlework that was used in girls’ education during the Indochina period.

Choosing the space as the heritage lecture hall at Trung Vuong Secondary School, reminds us of the cradle of many generations of intellectual and revolutionary women who have made important contributions to the development of modern Vietnamese society and preserved the quintessential values of Hanoi people.This is not only the opening activity of the exhibition “South Gate Harmony” but also the opening step for a series of long-term community projects –“Towards Building Cua Nam into a creative cultural space, on a sustainable path so that heritage can truly “live”, be protected and create new values, contributing directly to economic and social life”– according to information from the event organizers.

Young people enthusiastically participate in embroidery class. Source: Organization board

Event space “Thread of Time”. Source: Organization board

The highlight of the program is the meeting between two generations of artists: Pham Ngoc Tram – Artist born in 1984 in Hanoi, graduated from Vietnam University of Fine Arts; Ecole Lesage Paris, has brought Vietnamese embroidery art to the world many times through international exhibitions – For her, embroidery is not only a manual skill but also a way to tell urban memories, where heritage is revived in contemporary life. Accompanying the ladies is Ms. Vu Thi Tue, an artisan from Van Lam village (Ninh Binh), famous for its traditional lace embroidery. The discussion provides an in-depth look at the traditional embroidery craft, which has endured for many generations, and at the same time reveals the stories of the women who have preserved this quintessence.