Reliving history: Huynh Phuong Dong (right) and war veteran Mai Thanh Son (left) of former Division No 330 look at Dong's works displayed at the War Remnants Museum in HCM City. — VNS Photo Van Dat

HCM CITY (VNS)— A display of 60 sketches and paintings depicting soldiers, people and their works during the resistance war by 17 veteran painters is now open in the War Remnants Museum in HCM City to mark the 69th anniversary of the Viet Nam People's Army founding (December 22nd).

Through the artworks, the younger Vietnamese generation and foreign visitors can understand the challenges that Vietnamese people and the army had to face.

The exhibition is titled Ky Hoa Khang Chien Vung Sai Gon – Cho Lon – Gia Dinh (Resistance War Sketches in Sai Gon – Cho Lon – Gia Dinh).

According to Huynh Ngoc Van, director of the museum, the priceless sketches and paintings not only have artistic value, but profound historical value.

During the war, those painters were also soldiers. Beside weapons, they brought along paper, pencils, colour and paint brushes. When there was a lull or stop in the fighting, they painted or drew.

Despite the difficult conditions, works by painters including Huynh Phuong Dong, Le Lam, Kim Lien, Nguyen Van Kinh and several others helped to contribute to Viet Nam's victories.

Painter Dong, 89, said he worked very hard during the war and the years after. He has more than 20,000 sketches and paintings at home.

"During the war, I thought I could not survive under the continuous bombing. The exhibition makes me very emotional. I feel like crying when I see my paintings and my friends' works. Several of them are now dead," he said. —VNS