Flower village by the Perfume River

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, in a newly built, spacious house in Thanh Tien village, Phu Mau commune, Hue city, paper flower petals were neatly arranged on a large wooden table.

Thanh Tien village, Phu Mau commune ( Hue city) is famous for its paper flower making craft. (Photo: Xuan Dat)

Thanh Tien village is located on the banks of the Perfume River, in a low-lying area. For generations, the villagers have relied on agriculture and flower cultivation for religious offerings during Tet (Lunar New Year). However, this very location means the village frequently faces floods at the end of the year. Fresh flowers are often swept away by the water before they even have a chance to bloom, rendering the entire season's hard work fruitless.

Livelihoods from storms and floods

In the context of frequent floods, the people of Thanh Tien considered a different approach: making paper flowers. They are lightweight, durable, resistant to rain and wind, and can be made during periods of agricultural inactivity.

The craft of making paper flowers originated during the Nguyen Dynasty, about 300 years ago, as a natural adaptation of lowland residents to harsh weather conditions.

Mr. Nguyen Hoa, an artisan from Thanh Tien flower village, recounted: "Paper flowers were initially not for decoration, much less for artistic display. They served the needs of worship, closely linked to the spiritual life of the people of Hue. From paper, bamboo, and natural dyes, the people of Thanh Tien created durable flower branches that are present in the ancestral altars of every family during Tet (Lunar New Year)."

There was a time when the entire village was ablaze with the color of paper every December. The village even passed down the saying: "Green, red, yellow/Every December, the whole village makes paper flowers."

There was once a village official who presented Thanh Tien paper flowers to the emperor, marking it as a product of the capital region. But like many other traditional crafts, paper flowers are not immune to the cycle of rise and fall.

Over time, as plastic and imported flowers flooded the market at low prices and with diverse designs, traditional paper flowers gradually lost their appeal. The flowers were difficult to sell, resulting in low income. Many people abandoned the craft.

At one point, only five or six households in the village persevered in preserving the craft, mostly out of habit and reluctance to abandon it. The risk of the craft being passed down was imminent. In this context, the return of artist Than Van Huy, a son of the village, marked a crucial turning point.

In the past, someone brought Thanh Tien paper flowers to the emperor; in modern times, he is the one who has brought paper flowers out of the familiar space of worship and into contemporary life. Instead of choosing to preserve them in their original state, he approaches paper flowers with the mindset of an artist.

Building upon traditional techniques, he revived and improved the dyeing and paper processing methods to create paper lotus flowers with shapes and colors closer to real flowers.

In particular, he created the five-colored paper lotus, inspired by Buddhist philosophy, expanding the function of paper flowers from worship to decoration, souvenirs, and art displays.

Paper flowers, therefore, are no longer just religious items. They appear in homes, hotels, cultural spaces, and exhibitions. Using the same materials and traditional craftsmanship, but with new creative thinking, they have opened a new door for the craft village. Along with building the "Lotus Flower Serenity Garden" experiential space in Thanh Tien village itself, the late artist Than Van Huy contributed to linking paper flowers with cultural tourism .

Visitors come not only to buy flowers, but also to watch, participate in the craft, and hear stories about the profession. He is recognized as a "living treasure" of the craft village, a person who is reviving a tradition that is in danger of being broken.

Paper flowers in contemporary life

Thanks to the internal development of the craft village and the support of the local authorities, Thanh Tien paper flowers are increasingly appearing at the Hue Festival and the Traditional Craft Village Festival.

Orders are gradually returning. Locals are not only making flowers to sell seasonally, but are also gradually becoming artisans, able to demonstrate the process and guide tourists through the experience.

Many schools in Hue take students to the paper flower village as an extracurricular activity. The students learn how to fold the petals and dye the flowers, and understand why a village in a flood-prone area has been able to preserve this craft for hundreds of years.

From a village of flower-growing farmers, Thanh Tien has gradually transformed into a vibrant cultural space. This change is clearly reflected in the economic lives of the flower growers.

Artisan Nguyen Hoa built a new house with a raised foundation, so that during the flood season, water no longer overflows. The flower-making area is now set up separately, with a storage warehouse, replacing the makeshift flower-making space of the past.

Paper flowers in Thanh Tien village are now made year-round. During the peak season leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), many households call on more people from the village to help. Paper flower making, once a side job, has become a stable source of income for many families. Besides being a traditional craft village, Thanh Tien paper flower making has also entered the realm of cultural industry.

One notable example is Maypaperflower, a creative business founded by a Hue native. Instead of making traditional ceremonial flowers, Maypaperflower approaches Thanh Tien paper flowers as an "open source" solution.

The core elements, such as the shaping techniques, ceremonial spirit, and meticulousness, are directly inherited from the village. Based on this foundation, the company develops its own product lines, catering to contemporary living spaces. Ms. Phan Ngoc Hieu, the founder of Maypaperflower, shared: “After quitting my job at the bank, I coincidentally came across Thanh Tien paper flowers.”

"My childhood passion resurfaced. Thanh Tien paper flowers taught us respect for every detail. It is this folk technique and spirit that forms the foundation for creativity. New products may differ in form, but they still retain the essence of Hue."

Building upon traditional foundations, Maypaperflower has developed over 200 modern paper flower designs, primarily floral paintings and decorative flowers, crafted by the hands of more than 20 artisans who originally came from farming backgrounds.

The paper used for making flowers is imported from abroad to meet the stringent requirements of the European market. These products exist alongside the traditional flowers in the village, not replacing but complementing each other.

Currently, Maypaperflower's products are officially exported and available in many stores in the UK, USA, Switzerland, South Korea, Italy, and Dubai. Thanh Tien's story today is not about replacing the old with the new, but about their coexistence. From paper flower branches once only found in ancestral altars during Tet (Lunar New Year), the flower village along the Perfume River has now expanded into many different living spaces, both domestically and internationally...

The separate, spacious flower-making area has enough room for a few people to sit and chat while working. Few would imagine that, from a livelihood born out of a flood, Thanh Tien paper flowers have become a creative handicraft product found in many different spaces.

This is a typical story of how a traditional craft village found its own path in modern times.

DUONG QUANG TIEN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/lang-hoa-ben-dong-huong-post942365.html