HCMC – At the Le Quang Sung sugarcane market in Binh Tay Ward, HCMC, local residents gathered to buy “golden” sugarcane to prepare for the annual Jade Emperor’s Birthday, celebrated on the ninth day of the first lunar month, or February 25.
DANANG — It began on a quiet afternoon in 2011. On the Hoai River, which winds through the ancient town of Hoi An, a chance encounter on a small wooden boat sparked a journey that neither passenger could have ever envisioned.
At six in the morning, two days before Tet, the lights flicker on at Ba Hoa Market in HCMC, and the day begins not with a shout but with a murmur. For much of the year, Ba Hoa is a neighborhood market. But in the days leading to Tet, it becomes something else: a living ledger of migration, memory and trade.
The Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival takes place annually on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (September 10 this year). According to tradition, when the summer-autumn crop is harvested in the 8th lunar month, the weather becomes cooler and the moon is a pretty sight. That’s when locals celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, also called the Full Moon Festival, with people getting together to enjoy the full moon and children playing with colorful lanterns.
During this time, one can see colorful and diverse types of lanterns sold around town, signaling the arrival of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.
Traditional lanterns are made from ordinary items such as bamboo, paper, silk, multicolored nylon paper and candles in many shapes such as stars, carps and other animals.
Lanterns of various shapes are sold around townTwo young ladies choose traditional lanterns made from paper to enjoy the upcoming Mid-Autumn FestivalA lantern in the shape of a buffalo is lit with an LED bulb rather than a traditional candleCartoon characters and familiar animals are transformed into colorful lanternsA type of paper lanternA traditional lantern is inspected before being soldStar-shaped lanterns are the most common during the Mid-Autumn FestivalTiny lanterns of various shapes are also popularA shop sells a wide range of colorful lanterns on Luong Nhu Hoc Street in District 5, HCMC, a.k.a. the full-moon lantern streetBoth adults and kids await the upcoming Full Moon FestivalThe shapes of lanterns change every year to attract kidsAn old man sells lanternsTwo kids buy their favorite lanterns
HCMC – At the Le Quang Sung sugarcane market in Binh Tay Ward, HCMC, local residents gathered to buy “golden” sugarcane to prepare for the annual Jade Emperor’s Birthday, celebrated on the ninth day of the first lunar month, or February 25.
DANANG — It began on a quiet afternoon in 2011. On the Hoai River, which winds through the ancient town of Hoi An, a chance encounter on a small wooden boat sparked a journey that neither passenger could have ever envisioned.
At six in the morning, two days before Tet, the lights flicker on at Ba Hoa Market in HCMC, and the day begins not with a shout but with a murmur. For much of the year, Ba Hoa is a neighborhood market. But in the days leading to Tet, it becomes something else: a living ledger of migration, memory and trade.
