Keeping the fire of folk art alive

VHO - Amidst the modern pace of life, artisan Nguyen Hung's family in Hoi An still persistently maintains the craft of making the celestial dog - a mascot associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival and the unique performing art of the ancient town. With more than 30 years of dedication to the profession, Mr. Hung not only preserves folk knowledge, but also teaches the younger generation, contributing to the preservation of the nation's intangible cultural heritage, while reviving the community's memory of a land rich in Central Vietnam's cultural identity.

Artisan Nguyen Hung's facility making unicorn and dog heads is bustling during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Preserving folk knowledge

The Mid-Autumn Festival of the ancient Hoi An people is associated with the unique hobby of dancing the celestial dog - taking the image of a "heavenly dog", recreating the mascot spitting the moon, signaling a good harvest and a peaceful life. This type of folk performance has existed for a long time and has developed strongly since the beginning of the 20th century. Inspired by the love of the art of dancing the celestial dog every full moon season, Mr. Nguyen Hung (Hoi An Tay ward, Da Nang city - formerly Cam Ha commune, Hoi An city) studied with artisan Khuu Diem and has persevered in keeping the profession for 30 years now.

During that time, although there were years when only 1-2 heads of the unicorn were produced, Mr. Hung's family business was one of the few in Hoi An that still maintained and made a living from the profession. Making unicorns in Hoi An is not only a traditional craft but also considered an art form. However, there are not many artisans pursuing it now, partly because the performance techniques are difficult, so it has gradually faded away. The Mid-Autumn Festivals of the future are mainly lion dances.

In terms of shape, the celestial dog has a large head made of rattan, bamboo, and paper; painted in the five basic colors of the five elements, with red being the main color. The parts are all large, with ridges and veins creating a fierce appearance, suitable for the function of exorcising evil spirits. The tail is about 5m long, sewn from red fabric with a colorful mane; when performing, 2-4 people control the tail. The process of making the celestial dog is more complicated, takes more time and materials than making a lion head, so fewer and fewer people master the technique and are interested in the profession.

Mr. Hung said that the entire process is done by hand with four basic steps: Creating the frame; gluing fabric and paper; drawing, painting; adding feathers, decorating patterns and borders to create highlights. The most difficult step, and at the same time deciding the spirit of the head of the dog, is making the frame with bamboo and rattan. Right after the Lunar New Year, Mr. Hung started preparing the materials for the Mid-Autumn Festival. After completing the frame, he then attached the paper, glued the fabric; waited for the glue to dry, then glued a thin layer of paper. When the paper layer is dry, continue to paint the details of the eyes, nose, mouth...

Because it is handmade, each head of the tengu is a unique work, carrying the spirit and emotions of the artist, especially the eyes. The process of drawing and painting these details requires patience, skill, and almost all of one’s heart and soul to breathe life into the mascot.

Performing the Thien Cau dance on Hoi An street

Keeping the profession in the cycle of decline

In 2023, the People's Committee of Quang Nam province (old) officially recognized Mr. Nguyen Hung as an Artisan in the field of lion head and mask making - a milestone recognizing more than 30 years of perseverance in the profession.

For him, each line and each color block on the lion head and the unicorn head are not only handmade products, but also a treasure trove of memories, a bridge connecting the past and the present. In modern life, when traditional crafts are chosen by few people, Mr. Hung still steadfastly maintains his profession. In particular, the unicorn head - a unique symbol in Hoi An folk performing arts - is increasingly rare for people to order.

However, whenever he has the opportunity to create, he puts all his heart into it, considering it a way to introduce and promote Hoi An culture to tourists and the community. Every full moon, Hung's small house is filled with a bustling atmosphere. More than 300-400 large lion heads and hundreds of masks and small lion heads are made to serve the national market. These products appear in lion troupes, martial arts schools, and major festivals in Hoi An, evoking brilliant childhood memories for many generations.

In particular, since 2023, when the Hoi An Mid-Autumn Festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, his profession has taken on even more meaning: both preserving and fueling a unique cultural feature of the nation. The greatest joy for Mr. Hung is not only the title of Artisan, but also the fact that his two daughters have inherited the passion and mastered the family profession. They have mastered many stages such as drawing, paper mache, fabric gluing, product finishing...

In addition, there are currently a number of young people coming to learn the trade, and each peak season he often hires 15-20 seasonal workers. This is both a production solution and a way to sow passion and spread cultural identity to future generations. Not stopping at lion heads and masks, after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Mr. Hung's facility continues to create many other handmade products such as lanterns, kites, and masks. He has experimented with making mini mascots for hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops in Hoi An, both to satisfy modern tastes and to bring the products closer to tourists.

In this journey of keeping the fire alive, artisan Nguyen Hung is the storyteller in the form of unicorns, lions, dragons, and tengu - symbols of joy and community spirit. And from his small house in Hoi An, his love for the craft is shining every day, contributing to preserving a part of the soul of Vietnamese folk culture.

The Mid-Autumn Festival At Ty - Hoi An 2025 will be held in Hoi An ancient town from October 3-6 with many attractive and unique activities such as: Full Moon Festival Art Program; Music and Moon Space; Reenactment of Hoi An Ancient Town Night in the early 20th century; decoration, display of Mid-Autumn Festival trays, folk games... In particular, there will be a performance of the art of the unicorn dance, the Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern Parade... Along with that are activities to display the unicorn dance; experience drawing, decorating unicorns, and paper masks for visitors.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/giu-lua-nghe-thuat-dan-gian-171587.html