Recreating traditional Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns from half a century ago.

Rabbit lanterns, carp lanterns, and butterfly lanterns are three traditional Mid-Autumn Festival lantern designs that researcher Trinh Bach has restored and showcased this Mid-Autumn Festival season, much to the delight of visitors.

Driven by the observation that Hang Ma Street, a popular Mid-Autumn Festival destination, was increasingly losing its traditional charm, researcher Trinh Bach felt a deep desire to restore traditional Mid-Autumn Festival toys at all costs, and also because he "felt sorry that children today don't know much about the wonderful and beautiful aspects of traditional Vietnamese culture."

Furthermore, facing the wave of the market economy , traditional lantern makers are also trading in Chinese electronic lanterns, causing traditional Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns to gradually fade away. "The most difficult thing is that most of these toys only exist in memory; it's almost impossible to find people who can make them again," the researcher lamented.

These lamps are elaborately and meticulously decorated with cellophane, patterns, and rabbit fur.

Butterfly lamp

But eventually, his difficulties were rewarded when he met an artisan who had lived in Bao Dap village (Nam Dinh province) and had 70 years of experience making Mid-Autumn lanterns. Fortunately, the artisan's two children also loved the craft and joined Mr. Bach in restoring the traditional Mid-Autumn lanterns from before 1975.

These lanterns were restored by Mr. Bach using specially sourced materials and exquisitely handcrafted. At this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, researcher Trinh Bach not only introduced the audience to Mid-Autumn lantern designs from over 50 years ago, but also to dough figurines – a lost toy that was once popular centuries ago.

This exhibition is a follow-up activity by Ms. Pham Thi Bich Hanh, the initiator and organizer of the "Autumn Moon Festival" program, in an effort to preserve, conserve, and promote traditional national culture. The lanterns will be on display until October 1st in Hanoi .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phuc-dung-den-trung-thu-co-truyen-cach-day-nua-the-ky-185699498.htm