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Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival (“Trung Thu”), the streets glow with colourful lanterns and the sound of lion dance drums echoes through the city. Familiar sights return, bringing cherished childhood memories to life. Join Silk Path in exploring three traditional Vietnamese lanterns that have illuminated this festive season for generations.
Star-shape lanterns, tickle lanterns, and shadow lanterns have long been familiar sights during the full moon of the eighth lunar month. Each lantern not only illuminates the festive night but also carries cultural values passed down through generations. Thanks to the dedication of artisans, these symbols continue to endure over time.
STAR-SHAPED LANTERN (“ĐÈN ÔNG SAO”)
A Childhood Icon of Mid-Autumn Festival
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, star-shaped lanterns light up the streets, verandas, and feast tables, while children carry them through lantern processions. With their simple, easy-to-hold design, the lanterns have long been a cherished part of childhood. The five-pointed star symbolises the Five Elements (“Ngũ hành”), known in Chinese philosophy as Wuxing or the Five Phases: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
From thin bamboo strips bent into a star-shaped frame to colourful cellophane covering the frame and tassels gently swaying in the breeze, every detail is crafted with care. Even as modern toys become more common, artisans continue to keep this lantern tradition alive, ensuring that star-shaped lanterns remain part of every Mid-Autumn Festival.
TICKLE LANTERN (“ĐÈN CÙ”)
The Ferris Wheel of the Mid-Autumn Festival
While star-shaped lanterns light up the procession, tickle lanterns roll along the ground, carrying their warm glow with them. Also known in some places as “monk lanterns” (“đèn ông sư”) because their lampshades resemble the headwear worn by Buddhist monks, these lanterns have long been part of the festive character of the Mid-Autumn Festival. With each roll, candlelight shines through the colourful cellophane, casting moving halos of light across tiled courtyards and narrow alleyways.
To create that smooth rolling motion, artisans meticulously bend each bamboo strip, craft the wooden wheels, cover the lampshade with cellophane, and add decorative motifs such as marigolds or bundles of rice stalks. The final step is also the most challenging: carefully adjusting the wheels and handle so that the lantern rolls smoothly and evenly, as even a slight misalignment can disrupt its gentle motion.
SHADOW LANTERN (“ĐÈN KÉO QUÂN”)
A Stage for Mid-Autumn Tales
Among the many toys of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the shadow lantern resembles a miniature stage, where ancient tales unfold by candlelight. When the flame is lit, the heat from the candle turns the fan blades, causing layers of cut-out figures to move behind translucent paper. Lady Hang (“Chị Hằng”) and Uncle Cuoi (“Chú Cuội”), scenes of tug-of-war and wrestling, and motifs inspired by Dong Ho (“Đông Hồ”) folk paintings appear one after another, opening a window into the world of Vietnamese folklore.
The lantern is associated with the story of Lục Thức (“Lục Thức”), a filial son who made the lantern to ease his mother’s longing for him during their long separation. Over generations, it has remained part of the Mid-Autumn Festival, carrying the values of family bonds from one generation to the next.
Making a Vietnamese lantern can take nearly eight hours, from selecting tender bamboo and constructing the frame to crafting the rotating shaft and cutting and assembling multiple layers of figures inside. Such meticulous work brings together technical skill, artistry, and creativity, reflecting the ingenuity of Vietnamese artisans.
Although time has brought many new toys, star-shaped lanterns, tickle lanterns, and shadow lanterns continue to return each Mid-Autumn Festival as enduring symbols of childhood. Crafted from bamboo and thin sheets of paper with patience and skill, these three lanterns carry forward memories, customs, and heritage cherished by generations of Vietnamese people.
Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival
SILK PATH HOTELS & RESORTS
As autumn arrives, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also an ideal time to explore Hanoi, Sapa, and Hue, with each destination offering its own charm and memorable moments to share with family and loved ones.
From Silk Path Hotel Hanoi (195-199 Hang Bong Street, Hoan Kiem Ward, Hanoi) and Silk Path Boutique Hanoi (21 Hang Khay Street, Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi), guests can reach Hang Ma Street and the Ho Guom pedestrian zone within a few minutes’ walk, where lantern processions and lion dance drums blend into the rhythm of Vietnam’s capital city.
Amid the early autumn air of the Northwest highlands, Silk Path Grand Sapa Resort & Spa (Doi Quan 6, Group 5, Sapa Ward, Lao Cai) offers tranquil moonlit evenings against the backdrop of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, where life slows down in a peaceful mountain setting.
Meanwhile, Silk Path Grand Hue Hotel & Spa (2 Le Loi Street, Thuan Hoa Ward, Hue) offers a journey through the festivals, local crafts, and cultural spaces that have shaped the identity of the former imperial capital for generations.
This Mid-Autumn Festival, Silk Path Hotels & Resorts wishes everyone a joyful celebration, where the glow of lanterns brings warmth, togetherness, and cherished moments with family and loved ones.
Stay tuned for more stories that uncover the beauty of Vietnamese culture and heritage!
