VietNamNet Bridge – While many traditional toy making villages have no longer produced toys, artisans in Bao Dap village in Nam Dinh province still preserve their trade: making star-shaped lanterns.

Hanoi’s old quarter before Mid-autumn Festival
Making toys for Mid-autumn Festival
Traditional mid-Autumn lanterns disappearing
Paper-made unicorn head makers busy for Mid-autumn Festival

The village has produced this kind of toy for many generations.




Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hai’s family is very busy now because the Mid-autumn Festival is coming.
The family makes hundreds of lanterns a day to sell to traders from northern provinces.












Hundreds of households in Bao Dap Village do this trade.





Mr. Hoang Van Binh’s family both produces star-shaped lanterns and dyes glazed
papers to supply to other families in the village.





Kids also make star-shaped lanterns.






Nguyen Minh Tuan, 5, is very good at sticking patterns on lanterns.






Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh said he has to work 16 hours a day. “It’s tiring but exciting because
star-shaped lanterns sell quite well,” he said.






Nguyen Duc Hung, a ninth grader, is making a lantern handle.







All lanterns are hand made. The prices are from VND5,000 to VND10,000/unit.





Mr. Thanh’s children play with lanterns.


VNE