The 400-year-old lantern craft village in Hoi An is bustling during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Performed by: Nam Nguyen | August 21, 2024

(Fatherland) - During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the traditional lantern making profession of artisans in Hoi An ancient town ( Quang Nam province) is even busier. For them, lantern making is not only a stable source of income, but also because Hoi An lanterns carry the cultural breath of the ancient town's people.

When mentioning Hoi An, many people will immediately think of the ancient town with its colorful lanterns. It can be said that lanterns have contributed to creating a brand, bringing a very unique beauty to Hoi An ancient town.

Hoi An lantern making was honored as a typical Vietnamese craft village among 9 traditional craft villages nationwide awarded by the Vietnam Craft Village Association in 2011.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh (owner of Ha Linh lantern shop, Son Pho 1 block, Cam Chau ward, Hoi An city), she does not remember when her family started making Hoi An lanterns, but she only knows that she grew up with colorful lanterns since she was a child. Ms. Tuyen said that lanterns are made all year round, but the most orders are placed during the Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year. Hoi An lanterns are very popular with customers nationwide.

These days, at the Ha Linh facility, lantern makers are rushing to complete the last orders to deliver them to lantern stores nationwide in time to put them on shelves before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Looking at these rustic and simple bamboo lanterns, few people can see the meticulousness from the preparation of materials to the production process.

To make a lantern requires two main steps: making the frame and covering it with fabric.

Bamboo used to make lanterns must be old bamboo soaked in salt water for 10 days to prevent termites, then dried and thinned depending on the size of each type of lantern. Later, to serve events that require a lot of movement, outdoor display requires sturdiness... the lantern frame is made of metal.

For simple lanterns, there needs to be balance at both ends, while for complex lanterns, it is necessary to skillfully fix the convex and concave positions and ensure harmony, the proportions of the shape must be implemented.

The fabric must be made of silk or brocade, with enough strength to not tear when stretched, and the fabric stretcher must have the technique to straighten the curves. Therefore, the completed lantern looks very soft but sturdy, gentle but very sparkling, like a part of the character of Hoi An people.

To meet market demand, Hoi An lanterns now come in many sizes, shapes, colors, and designs, from simple ones like circles, hexagons, octagons, etc. to complex ones like the 12 zodiac animals, lanterns, etc. Bamboo lanterns today are also created by artisans that can be folded up to open or folded up for easy transportation over long distances.

According to Ms. Dieu Linh, lantern making is not difficult, it just requires diligence, hard work, meticulousness and especially a little bit of dexterity. “Now I can make any type of lantern. This job not only brings a stable income, but also suits the lifestyle and personality of Hoi An people who are gentle, meticulous and skillful,” Ms. Dieu Linh shared.

Lanterns appeared in Hoi An around the end of the 16th century when the first Chinese people came to Hoi An to trade, establish businesses and settle permanently. Up to now, the lantern making profession in Hoi An is 400 years old.

These days, at the Minh Hien lantern production facility (Minh An ward, Hoi An city, Quang Nam), Mr. Minh is busy completing orders to deliver to customers. During this Mid-Autumn Festival, Minh Hien facility supplies the market with 200-600 lanterns each day, 3 times more than usual.

“Customers are mainly lantern businesses or some businesses and units that buy them to decorate for the Mid-Autumn Festival,” said Mr. Minh.

Tourists coming to Hoi An cannot miss checking in photos with lanterns.

Many foreign tourists are also very interested in the beautiful and sparkling lanterns sold on the streets of Hoi An. As the night goes on, more and more people and tourists of all ages come to have fun and shop, making the lantern selling areas in Hoi An become bustling and bustling.

Lantern Street in Hoi An these days attracts thousands of people to come and have fun every night.

Hoi An ancient town is illuminated by colorful lights.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/lang-nghe-long-den-hon-400-nam-tuoi-o-hoi-an-tat-bat-vao-vu-trung-thu-20240821122443763.htm