30 years introducing beauty of Vietnam

One day in March, I met Pham Minh Hong, a painting seller on Nha Trang Beach when he was sitting on the bench enjoying the cool sea breeze and the stunning sea view with golden sunlight reflecting over Nha Trang Bay.  Next to him is a collection of water-colored paintings of Vietnam scenery, including sun-kissed Nha Trang Beach with palm trees, a fishing boat offshore and a fishing village far away together with the sparkling clear waters and azure sky.

In that "mobile” gallery, there are also paintings of the Vietnamese countryside, Ha Long Bay and Hue in purple colors imbued with the Vietnamese soul. Foreign visitors stopped, looked at the paintings and bought some. He enthusiastically introduced the beauty and meanings of every detail in the paintings to tourists like a tour guide.

Pham Minh Hong (right) with two tourists from Kazakhstan with paintings of Vietnamese landscapes.

Choosing a painting of a boat with a glimpse of bamboo trees on the riverside, Tania, a tourist from Almaty, Kazakhstan was happy to have it as a souvenir for her parents at home. “My parents really like Vietnam, but they are too old to travel far. This painting will definitely be a meaningful gift for them," she said. For nearly 2 hours that afternoon, the man sold 5-6 paintings to tourists from England, U.S.A. and Kazakhstan.

He was born in Binh Dinh known as a land of marital arts but he has been living in Khanh Hoa for 30 years. He loves art, so he studied painting when he was young. His forte is abstract oil painting. He used to have a gallery on Tran Phu Street then moved to Hung Vuong Street to sell paintings of his own and some of his friends.

Through the ups and downs of business, he had to close his gallery due to a significant hike in land rental. However, he still continues his passion for painting. He sells paintings of his own and some of his friends to earn a living and nurture his passion.

Besides, he would like to introduce Vietnam, a peaceful and beautiful destination to international tourists. “Every painting sold out is a chance for Vietnam in general and Nha  Trang in particular known more to visitors, ” he said.

“Don’t call me an artist. I simply love arts, painting and working as a painting seller,” he smiled. A Russian poet Evgeny Evtushenko says, “No people are uninteresting. Their fate is like the chronicle of planets.” A person selling painting for 30 years, though just for a living, helps promote the beauty of Vietnam to international visitors, and that is worthy enough to make a difference.

X.T

Translated by N.T