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Wild horses and ancient tales
Stepping through the gate of Son Tra Pagoda, the first image that appears before visitors is two giant praying mantis lanterns. These are the latest creations of Khoi Dang Tac Khi – the organizing unit – and also the main symbol of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival. These "heavenly horses carrying fire" lanterns not only recreate the shape of the familiar insect but also illuminate a treasure trove of folk culture.
Praying mantises have been mentioned in folk songs like "The praying mantis catches the cicada, the sparrow stalks its prey," or in cultural exchange, in the saying "The praying mantis kicks the cart" - a symbol of indomitable spirit, daring to face an enemy many times stronger despite its small size. In Sino-Vietnamese, the praying mantis is called "duong lan," and it is also preserved in martial arts with the famous "duong lan quyen" (Duong Lan Fist) form. Huynh Tinh Cua, in his Dai Nam Quoc Am Tu Vi (Great Nam National Language Dictionary), recorded the name "heavenly horse," referring to a type of grasshopper that resembles a horse.
Legend has it that every time the sun sets, the heavens light a fire to cook rice, and send praying mantises down to earth to fetch the glowing embers. Therefore, many people in the countryside feared these insects would "catch fire" and burn down their thatched houses. This legend became the inspiration for praying mantis lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival – a symbol of the Vietnamese spirit, connected to nature, and resilient and indomitable.
Praying mantises have appeared in Vietnamese folk songs, proverbs, and martial arts under the name "Duong Lan Quyen" (Mantis Fist).
Currently, the common praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) is listed in the Vietnamese Red Book as Vulnerable (VU) due to habitat loss, pesticide abuse, and illegal hunting. Therefore, Khoi Dang Tac Khi chose the praying mantis as the theme for this exhibition. In addition, "We want the praying mantis lantern to represent the young generation of Vietnam," shared Nguyen Minh Nguyet, a member of Khoi Dang Tac Khi. "Small but fiercely fighting, daring to confront, daring to protect. That's why the image of the praying mantis appears first in the exhibition area, conveying the message the group wants to send: fight, strive your best for your ideals and for your country."
Beyond its cultural significance, the event also reminds visitors that the praying mantis has been listed as Vulnerable in the Vietnamese Red Book and needs to be conserved.
The treasure trove of lanterns and their layers of cultural meaning.
Besides the praying mantis lantern, this exhibition opens up a dazzling world of seven other traditional lanterns.
There are a total of 8 traditional lantern designs that have been restored and are on display.
"The Carp Transforming into a Dragon" evokes the legend of the carp leaping over the Dragon Gate to transform into a dragon – a transitional journey to become a "great dragon," an allegory for perseverance and resilience in the face of hardship. Based on the carp motif of the 1920s, the head is sculpted into a dragon's head, while the tail retains its original fish shape, known as "carp" or "gold and silver." The fins are stylized like overlapping peony petals. The decorative lines on the tail depict a bat (a homophone for "fortune" 福), reversed to form "fortune arrives."
On some traditional lanterns, in addition to the decorative cloud motifs, there is a small piece of paper with a title. The image is blurry, so it's speculated that it reads "The Transformation of the Fish and Dragon" or "Mid-Autumn Moon Viewing." All of this serves as a wish for happiness and prosperity for the family during this reunion festival.
The "Fish-Dragon Transformation" lantern has been recreated with a dragon's head and a fish's tail.
With the "Cancer" lantern, the character 甲 (jia) means "crab shell," often used to refer to the crab's carapace. The crab's carapace also signifies top-tier, first-class, or superior. Therefore, the crab symbol represents academic success. For a long time, Vietnamese people have valued education, so hanging a crab-shaped lantern during the full moon is a wish for the children in the family to excel in their studies and achieve high scores in examinations.
Cancer-shaped crab lantern
The snakehead fish lantern consists of a large fish frame surrounded by smaller fish, symbolizing the sacred bond of motherhood. The butterfly lantern, or "butterfly lantern," symbolizes longevity and good fortune. The word "diep" (butterfly) means both butterfly and piled up or stacked. "Phuc diep" (blessings and blessings) is often used to refer to many blessings or repeated blessings, especially for the elderly.
Snakehead fish lantern
Butterfly lantern
The meaning of longevity is also expressed through the butterfly-shaped parasol, once popular in wealthy families. Made from handmade paper and bamboo in muted colors, mainly black, green, and yellow, the butterfly parasol is both rustic and sophisticated. When opened, it reveals eight butterflies inside – a number symbolizing growth. In the recreated version, the young people of Khoi Dang Tac Khi also created a fish-shaped parasol with six fish symbolizing wealth. Combining 8 and 6 results in the number 86, meaning "prosperity and good fortune."
The largest lantern, measuring 20 meters in length, is "Dai Long" (Great Dragon), inspired by the dragon imagery from the Phu Day Festival (Nam Dinh, 1920). The Vietnamese dragon, with its round cheeks and majestic yet approachable appearance, is depicted in a color scheme reflecting the five elements and motifs from the Le-Trung Hung era, associated with the temple dedicated to Mai Phu Quan, a figure who contributed significantly to the Le-Trung Hung period. A reverse butterfly pattern adorns its forehead, symbolizing auspicious blessings. Placed in the center, "Dai Long" represents success and the journey of "carp transforming into a dragon."
The Great Dragon lantern has a long, winding body, giving the impression of being in flight.
A common image during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but easily confused with the lion or unicorn, is the Celestial Dog (Thiên Cẩu), associated with a distinctive dance in Hoi An. The Celestial Dog head, commissioned by Khoi Dang Tac Khi from Hoi An artisans, features a large nose, fierce, sharp eyes, a magic mirror attached to the front, and horns on the back. Legend says the Celestial Dog can swallow the sun and the moon. The Celestial Dog dance symbolizes prayers for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and national peace and prosperity.
Young visitors take photos with the Tengu head.
Ms. Minh Nguyet - a member of the Khoi Dang Tac Khi group - with the celestial head crafted by an artisan from Hoi An.
From restoration to reviving memories of the Mid-Autumn Festival of the past.
Ms. Nguyen Minh Nguyet, a member of the Khoi Dang Tac Khi group, said that the group has been active for three years and has organized events during the Mid-Autumn Festival for two consecutive years. Having studied architecture, Ms. Thuy – Director of Khoi Dang Tac Khi company – found that Vietnamese lanterns were once incredibly diverse, beautiful, and meaningful, like messages from the past to future generations. However, many designs have faded, been lost, or even sometimes confused with Chinese culture. This motivated Khoi Dang Tac Khi to diligently restore and bring back a Mid-Autumn Festival in the true Vietnamese spirit through the exhibition "Heavenly Horse Picking Up Fire".
Beyond simply recreating the atmosphere of the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, the event also serves as a platform to recount little-known cultural stories.
Each lantern was handcrafted by a group of young people in their workshop, from bending the bamboo frame at temperatures below 800 degrees Celsius to painting the details and applying the colors. Complex designs like the Great Dragon took up to a month and a half to complete. In total, the group of 10 people worked for four months on this exhibition.
Besides lanterns, the display table in front of the entrance also features dough figurines with lion heads, fruit platters, etc., all created by artisan Dang Van Hau. These seemingly small details contribute to perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival of the past.
These dough figurines were crafted by artisan Dang Van Hau.
The tea and pastry area is available for visitors free of charge.
What surprised the group, according to Ms. Nguyet, was that the visitors were not only elderly but also mostly young people. Many students came to gather material for their dissertations on culture. “Before, I had never known about lanterns like the praying mantis or grasshopper. But after listening to the stories amidst the dazzling lantern display, I was both overwhelmed and learned valuable knowledge,” shared Truc Huynh. Photographer Nguyen Tan Bach called it a special experience: “Not only did I get beautiful photos, but more importantly, I brought back stories and values that are hard to find in books.”
Nguyen Tan Bach, a young man who loves culture, came to the event to "live" in the atmosphere of the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival and learn about traditional lanterns.
The traditional Mid-Autumn Festival comes alive again at the ancient communal house.
The ancient Son Tra communal house, built in 1876, bears the imprint of a turbulent historical period, from the Son Tra peninsula (Da Nang) to Saigon - Gia Dinh during the French colonial period in Vietnam.
With images of the village courtyard, banyan tree, and well – indispensable symbols of the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival – the Khoi Dang Tac Khi group chose Son Tra communal house (Son Tra Dinh Tin Nghia Hoi) as the venue for the "Heavenly Horse Picking Up Fire" event, transporting viewers back to the simple and intimate Mid-Autumn atmosphere of our ancestors.
The event took place at Son Tra Temple - an ancient temple nearly 150 years old.
In this age of technology and modernization, old values are easily forgotten. The "Heavenly Horse Picking Up Fire" event serves as a gentle reminder that the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival is not just about mooncakes, sticky rice cakes, or star-shaped lanterns, but also about legends and lanterns carrying messages from our ancestors to future generations.
Khởi Đăng Tác Khí has rekindled the flame of cultural identity with the hope that core values will be preserved and passed on to future generations.
The lanterns lit in Son Tra Temple today not only illuminate the full moon season, but also ignite memories, pride, and a sense of preserving identity. This is the flame that Khoi Dang Tac Khi is persistently "gathering" and passing on – the flame of Vietnamese culture, so that the Mid-Autumn Festival will forever remain a meaningful celebration of family reunion in the hearts of each person.
