Old-school lanterns, young hands: Reviving Mid-Autumn memories in Ho Chi Minh City

Chill out and make a lantern

As Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, lantern-making workshops are drawing more young people to cafes, where they can sip coffee and take their time decorating their own lanterns.

At 3:00 pm, several groups of two or three young people were sitting inside Sundate Matcha Holic Shelter in Xuan Hoa Ward, carefully decorating lanterns.

Huu Tien, 26, pulled up a photo of his girlfriend on his phone and carefully traced her facial features onto a poonah paper, a sheet of traditional Vietnamese paper made from the bark of the 'do' tree.

Meanwhile, Gia Han, 21, from Tan Thuan Ward, decorated the Vietnamese 'do' paper covering before carefully assembling the lantern frame and adding a string of mini flashing lights in place of a candle.

The lights highlighted drawings of family members and cartoon characters. Han drew portraits of her parents and said she planned to take the lantern home as a gift.

“We found out about the workshop on social media. It was quite a long way to come, but everyone was happy with how their lanterns turned out. We spent about three hours on them, and the VND69,000 (US$2.70) workshop fee per lantern was quite reasonable,” Han said.

Vu Nguyen Bao Ngoc, the cafe’s co-founder, said this is the second year the cafe has hosted a Mid-Autumn lantern workshop. 

The cafe typically attracts about 200 participants on weekdays, with attendance reaching up to 300 on weekends. All the necessary materials and tools are provided.

Other cafes are also hosting Mid-Autumn lantern workshops. 

Enmatcha in An Khanh Ward is offering 'do' paper cylindrical lantern workshops through September 30, while the Duong creative complex in Thong Tay Hoi Ward is offering traditional cellophane lantern workshops through September 25.

Traditional lanterns, lion heads and mooncake molds

Tucked away in an alley off Hai Ba Trung Street in Ho Chi Minh City, the 'Vu Lan Khai Hoi' exhibition continues to draw visitors despite heavy rain. 

The exhibition is open daily from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm and runs through October 4.

As visitors step inside, lanterns in a variety of shapes and colors immediately catch their attention. 

Further in, they find traditional Mid-Autumn offerings, candied treats, papier-mache lion heads, mooncake molds and other familiar objects, arranged in small displays under warm yellow lights.

The space evokes a sense of familiarity, offering visitors a glimpse into how Vietnamese families once prepared for and celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

Behind each object are the craftsmanship of its maker and stories of everyday life, traditions and aesthetics passed down through generations.

Nguyen Thao My, 22, from Linh Trung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, slowly made her way through each corner of the exhibition, stopping to take in the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival items on display. 

When she spotted an unusually shaped lion head, My paused for a while to examine it before taking out her phone to snap a photo, saying she wanted to show it to her parents.

My said she was fascinated by the traditional items on display because they looked unusual and had a character of their own. 

As a child, she also enjoyed watching lion dances, but whenever a troupe passed by, the crowds were so large that she could usually only catch a glimpse.

“This time, I got to stand close and take a good look at each lion head, which I found fascinating. They look so beautiful up close, even though they’re made from such simple materials. It gave me a better sense of what the Mid-Autumn Festival was like in the past,” My said.

Alongside familiar lion head designs, the exhibition also features various lion styles associated with the Hoa community, as well as designs by the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in northern Vietnam’s mountainous areas.

Each design has its own distinctive form, highlighting the diversity of lion and dragon dance art.

Never miss a photo opportunity

Taking photos has become an essential part of the Mid-Autumn Festival experience, especially at cafes decked out for the occasion. Many cafes go all out with oversized lanterns, traditional Mid-Autumn offerings and seasonal flowers and greenery.

Nha Tao Cafe in Gia Dinh Ward has decorated its space with traditional lanterns, mini lanterns, a red-themed Mid-Autumn offering tray and pellet drums. The cafe is also embracing the trend of adding sparkly stickers to drink cups.

Outside, Moc Thi Coffee in Binh Loi Trung Ward features a soft, floral-themed setup, while inside, visitors can find plenty of photo spots, including vintage tables and chairs that pair well with Vietnamese traditional or retro outfits, as well as colorful carp-shaped lanterns.

The cafe also offers outfit rentals and a photobooth.