Making Mid-Autumn traditional toys with artisans

The Hanoi 1010 Cultural Exchange Space and MyHanoi organised a workshop on Vietnamese traditional Mid-Autumn toys on September 9th.

It provided a glimpse of this upcoming festival’s culture but also gave attendees a chance to make their own toys under the guidance of artisans.

The Hanoi 1010 Cultural Exchange Space at 32 Vong Thi street, Buoi Ward, Tay Ho Dist, Hanoi was packed with parents and their children and many students, who were there to learn to make traditional Mid-Autumn toys with artisans. This workshop was hosted by My Hanoi. 

Nguyen Thuy Hang from My Hanoi said, “My Hanoi organized this workshop as the opening event for a series of events celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival in September. The aim of this workshop is to preserve this ancient Vietnamese craft in the hope that traditional Mid-Autumn toys will not be replaced by imported toys and that the festival’s spirit will be kept alive.”

Workshop participants will get hands-on experience making their own lanterns and paper masks under the guidance of two guest artisans - Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyen from Van Canh village, Hoai Duc, and Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, the only paper mask maker in the old quarter. 

Attendee Le Thi Phuong Thao said, “Traditional festivals like the Mid-autumn Festival should be preserved. With the rapid development of society, the toy market has shifted drastically towards modern toys so that a workshop like this is very meaningful and practical for the children. This event teaches people, especially children about making the beloved traditional Mid-autumn festival toys and their history.”

Two artisans showed attendees step by step how to make traditional paper masks, paper doctors, tin boats, star-shaped lanterns and lion heads.

The children followed the instructions of the artisans to make their own toys.

Nguyen Dang Quan from Hanoi said, “Making the paper doctor’s body part was the hardest, but I was instructed slowly and patiently by the artisans until finally, I could make my own paper doctor. I also learned a lot about the meaning of these traditional toys.”

Mrs Do Anh Phuong, who came to the workshop with her 8-year-old daughter, said, “My daughter was very excited with this workshop where she can learn to make traditional toys herself such as paper masks, paper doctors, tin boats, star-shaped lanterns. I hope that this workshop will be held annually.”

VOV

Other News

Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

In recent years, Ta Xua, dubbed "the paradise of clouds", has emerged as one of the mountainous destinations attracting strong interest from young travellers, particularly for its spectacular sea of clouds stretching across the mountains in the northwestern region.

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

Training local young people in filming, audio recording, digital storytelling, data preservation and responsible use of AI can help build a new generation of cultural custodians. This, in turn, can help transform cultural heritage into a resource for economic development while contributing to the country’s broader development.

Indigenous culture becomes tourism asset in northern highlands

Indigenous culture becomes tourism asset in northern highlands

With growing recognition of indigenous knowledge, customs and cultural values as unique assets, ethnic communities in the northern mountainous region are shifting from simply providing tourism services to becoming creators and owners of tourism products, confidently telling their own cultural stories

UNESCO ready to work with Vietnam to implement International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development initiative: Representative

UNESCO ready to work with Vietnam to implement International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development initiative: Representative

Jonathan Wallace Baker, UNESCO Representative to Vietnam, noted that the official proclamation of the 2027–2036 period as the "International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development" comes at a particularly important moment. As the international community works to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda while beginning to consider what comes after 2030, the Decade provides a ten-year framework to strengthen the place of culture in development.

Traditional culture finds new life in contemporary Vietnam

Traditional culture finds new life in contemporary Vietnam

Under Resolution 80-NQ/TW, dated January 7, 2026, November 24 was designated Vietnam Culture Day, to be observed annually. The occasion aims to give the public opportunities to participate in, create and enjoy cultural activities, helping spread positive values and foster pride in Vietnamese culture.

Vietnam prioritises MICE tourism as strategic product

Vietnam prioritises MICE tourism as strategic product

For the MICE tourism sector in both Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam, growth can no longer be driven merely by increasing the number of events; instead, the focus must shift to enhancing the value of each event and the competitiveness of each destination.

Potential of ethnic minority women's football

Potential of ethnic minority women's football

Women’s football movements in local communities have been quietly growing, but they’ve now built up enough momentum to inspire organisers to launch the first Vietnam Ethnic Minority Women’s Football – VTV Cup in 2026.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang named among Vietnam's 11 most beautiful destinations

Phong Nha - Ke Bang named among Vietnam's 11 most beautiful destinations

According to the magazine, boat trips into Phong Nha Cave and strolls through Paradise Cave (both family-friendly) offer a tantalising glimpse of their astonishing scale, but the real adventure lies deeper within the park, where cavers wade through underground rivers and weave among stalagmites.

Tourism seeks new growth momentum under Resolution 26

Tourism seeks new growth momentum under Resolution 26

Tourism effectiveness should be measured not only by visitor numbers and revenue, but also by spending, length of stay, repeat visits, job quality, visitor satisfaction and environmental carrying capacity, said experts.

Vietnam welcomes nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. (Illustrative photo: VNA)

Vietnam tourism maintains strong growth, expands international markets

The National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance reported that Vietnam welcomed nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. The figure represented 63.6% of the tourism sector’s full-year target of 25 million arrivals.

First ladies of Vietnam, Myanmar visit Van Phuc silk village

First ladies of Vietnam, Myanmar visit Van Phuc silk village

Ngo Phuong Ly, the spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, said the two countries share similarities in silk weaving and can enrich their cultural heritage through exchanges and experience sharing.