Do paper lanterns revive the Mid-Autumn Festival tradition.

With only a few days left until the Mid-Autumn Festival, images of lanterns, the full moon, and the sound of lion dance drums have become familiar. But amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, many young people are seeking to relive those memories in a different way: by making their own lanterns from traditional Vietnamese dó paper and folk art motifs.

The Magic Of Color (MOC) Project regularly organizes workshops on making Vietnamese folk-painted paper lanterns at the Temple of Literature and Ho Van Lake, and also holds events such as Children's Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Lunar New Year. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huu, the project's founder, shared: "I want to create a space where young people can breathe life into traditional values, bringing folk paintings out of the glass and back into everyday life." Beyond workshops, the group also organizes field tours to traditional craft villages and researches the application of folk painting imagery to everyday products such as fabric bags, water bottles, and decorative interior lamps.

This activity combines traditional crafts with the creative inspiration of young people, aiming to rekindle a love for Vietnamese folk culture. In the workshop space, participants are guided in drawing patterns and gluing dó paper to create a complete lamp. These seemingly small steps require meticulousness and patience, from mixing colors to drawing folk patterns in an authentic yet modern way.

"Unlike mass-produced lanterns, each lantern here has its own unique character: some are painted with carp, some mimic lotus flowers, and some are inspired by Dong Ho folk paintings such as 'The Mouse Wedding,' 'Yin-Yang Pig,' and 'Baby Holding a Chicken...'"

For many, making lanterns is not just a craft activity, but also a way to feel and understand why these traditional toys are so cherished. The value lies not in the mass-produced products, but in the atmosphere of togetherness and connection that radiates through each handcrafted step. When the lantern is finished, the light shining through the translucent dó paper creates a beauty that is both delicate and warm.

Vietnamese folk paintings – from Dong Ho and Hang Trong to Kim Hoang – were once symbols of the spiritual life of the Northern Vietnamese countryside. But as these styles of painting gradually faded away, young people are seeking to bring back their images, colors, and spirit in new forms.

This "rebirth" doesn't come from large campaigns or museums, but from the needs of the community itself – especially young people, who want to experience culture with their own hands instead of just listening. In a world flooded with electric lights, lighting candles in homemade paper lanterns brings a special feeling: the light, though small, is warm, casting shadows of folk patterns on the wall, evoking memories of moonlit nights of the past.

Paper lanterns decorated with folk paintings are not just products of nostalgia, but reflect an emerging cultural trend – a trend of reconnecting with traditional crafts, natural materials, and the spirit of tradition.

The return of handcrafted lanterns is not noisy or flashy, but enduring. It doesn't aim for rigid preservation, but rather for the tradition to be revived naturally – through the hands of young people, in contemporary life.

As the streets light up to welcome the Mid-Autumn Festival, somewhere, people are quietly drawing ancient folk images on traditional Vietnamese dó paper. Amidst the myriad of electric lights, perhaps it is these small candles that remind us that tradition is not lost, it just needs someone to take the time to rekindle it.

Text: Hai Anh, Photos: Organizing Committee