Preserving the craft of making papier-mâché masks.

These days, Mrs. Dang Huong Lan (63 years old) and her husband, who live in alley 73, Hang Than Street, are busy making papier-mâché masks to supply the market in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Ms. Lan said that making papier-mâché masks is a family tradition. Since the age of 19, her parents have taught her how to make a mask, and notably, all the steps are done by hand.

According to Ms. Lan, after completing the mask-making steps, the next step is sun-drying; a dryer should not be used to avoid deformation and warping. The final step is coloring and decorating each mask.

These papier-mâché masks were meticulously crafted by Ms. Dang Huong Lan and her husband using sheets of paper. Photo: Hoang Loc

"We make about 12 masks a day. Larger masks like lion or dragon heads take more time to make. Every Mid-Autumn Festival season, we sell over 2,000 complete masks to customers," Ms. Lan added.

According to Ms. Lan, maintaining the craft of making papier-mâché masks is not simply for economic purposes, but also has the meaning of preserving and transmitting the essence of a traditional craft, which is why she will continue making papier-mâché masks until her health no longer permits it.

As a loyal customer, Ms. Nguyen Bich Ngoc (Ha Dong, Hanoi ) said that papier-mâché masks are a traditional, non-toxic toy that was a part of her childhood and she now always prioritizes buying them for her children to play with.

According to Ms. Ngoc, in recent years, the designs of papier-mâché masks have become much more diverse and abundant, making them more appealing to children and giving them plenty of choices.

"Each papier-mâché mask that the children use during the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a way to help preserve the folk culture of our ancestors," Ms. Ngoc added.

Customers can purchase papier-mâché masks and decorate them themselves according to their preferences. Photo: Provided by the subject.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Manh, the owner of a shop on Hang Ma Street, every Mid-Autumn Festival, customers ask to buy papier-mâché masks. Each time, they sell over a hundred masks, but always run out of stock because Mrs. Lan's papier-mâché masks are produced in very limited quantities.

According to Mr. Manh, for older tourists or those who have had experiences with traditional culture since childhood, papier-mâché masks can evoke beautiful memories and bring a sense of nostalgia.

Source: https://laodong.vn/kinh-doanh/giu-nghe-lam-mat-na-giay-boi-1388925.ldo