The exhibition is part of a series of activities commemorating the 950th anniversary of the founding of the Imperial Academy, and is also one of the opening events for the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2026. The event also continues the journey of awakening layers of urban memories from the art project "Stories of Temples in the City".
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Van Tu, Deputy Director of the Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giám Cultural and Scientific Activities Center, said that the Vietnamese examination-based education system, with a history of over 950 years, has trained thousands of talented individuals who have contributed to and served the country.
Among them, many scholars not only contributed to academia and politics but also directly participated in disseminating knowledge and developing folk crafts, and were honored by the people as the founders of their respective trades.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tu, the exhibition introduces eight prominent scholars who made significant contributions to the development of traditional crafts, including: Tham Hoa Luong Nhu Hoc – the founder of woodblock printing; Trang Nguyen Pham Don Le – the founder of mat weaving; Doctor Tran Lu – the founder of lacquerware; Hoi Nguyen Doctor Nguyen Quang Tan – the founder of oil pressing; Hoang Giap Phung Khac Khoan – the founder of silk weaving; Doctor Le Cong Hanh – the founder of embroidery; Doctor Nguyen Thi Trung – the founder of leather tanning and shoemaking; and Doctor Nguyen Chinh – the founder of tin plating.