Artisans "light up" traditional Mid-Autumn Festival star lanterns.

"The five-pointed star lantern is brightly colored."

This handle is very long, the handle goes higher than the head.

I hold a lantern and sing loudly.

"The brightly colored starlight of the full moon festival night."

Every year around the eighth lunar month, children's songs resound, evoking the joyful and lively atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Unlike the modern, battery-operated imported toys of today, traditional gifts such as star-shaped lanterns, carp-shaped lanterns, revolving lanterns, or papier-mâché masks remain cherished childhood memories for countless generations.

Star-shaped lanterns are the most popular type of lantern for Vietnamese people during the Mid-Autumn Festival (the 15th day of the 8th lunar month). It's easy to find colorful lanterns in the shape of a five-pointed star sold in most shops. The image of a five-pointed star enclosed in a circle symbolizes the five elements of Yin and Yang in Feng Shui. Therefore, this lantern represents balance and harmony in relationships in life, between people and between people and nature. In addition, the star-shaped lantern represents the five-pointed star on the national flag, expressing the Vietnamese people's desire for peace.

A gift from childhood

Previously, Hau Ai village (Van Canh commune, Hoai Duc district, Hanoi) was known as the capital's supplier of Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns to the capital and several neighboring provinces. Every autumn, every household in the village would be busy making star-shaped lanterns to sell. However, that scene is now gone, replaced by a desolate and deserted atmosphere. Visiting Hau Ai village, one can find only one household still preserving the village's traditional craft.

Having been involved with star-shaped lanterns for over 50 years, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyen, one of the last remaining artisans in Hau Ai village specializing in traditional Mid-Autumn lantern making, shared: "I am the third generation to continue the family business. Having worked with bamboo and reeds since childhood, transforming them into a useful frame for making Mid-Autumn lanterns is very familiar to me."

Creating a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival lantern involves many meticulous steps. Because it's entirely handmade, the artisan must be extremely careful and skillful. Unlike imported toys, the materials used to make traditional Mid-Autumn Festival toys are mainly bamboo and colored paper. The criteria for selecting materials must prioritize safety and environmental friendliness, as most of the people who interact with these toys are young children. Even the glue used to stick the paper is made from tapioca starch, which is harmless.

Each detail on a small star-shaped lantern takes Ms. Tuyen about half an hour to master, while it would take an average person two to three hours. "One of the most difficult steps in making the lanterns is gluing the colored paper. Using the wrong amount of glue will cause the paper to wrinkle and tear, ruining the product's aesthetic appeal," Ms. Tuyen explained.

The artisan also said that previously, she only made star-shaped lanterns in pure red, but to make the lanterns more dazzling when lit, she added many colors to the star points. In particular, she also created fringes around the edges and attached two national flags on either side as an affirmation of pride in the nation's culture and history.

Deeply concerned about traditional crafts.

Making handcrafted toys requires a great deal of dedication and time investment from the artisans. Although the people of Hau Ai village are no longer committed to the traditional craft and folk toys are gradually fading away, this woman still diligently keeps the flame alive, and her small house remains vibrant with the characteristic colors of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

"To preserve traditional crafts, we first need to love the craft, be deeply committed to it, and be concerned about it. From there, we can create and improve product designs and forms to suit consumer tastes while still preserving the traditional characteristics of our nation," the artisan confided.

Although the work that artisan Nguyen Thi Tuyen continues to pursue every day is still arduous and challenging, she always shines with a spirit of patriotism and a desire to preserve and protect the beauty of traditional craft culture.

Phuong Mai is a reporter for Travellive Magazine in Hanoi.

Phuong Mai