Handcrafted lanterns are far more than decorative objects in Vietnam.
These glowing creations carry deep cultural meaning, especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival—a beloved harvest celebration that honors the full moon and celebrates family unity.
Each lantern tells a story shaped by its region's history, local traditions and the skilled artisans who dedicate their lives to preserving this traditional craft.
Regional Language Of Lanterns
In Hoi An, the central heritage town known for its colorful alleyways and silk-wrapped lanterns, the craft is an essential part of both local cultural identity and the town’s appeal to visitors seeking authentic Vietnamese experiences.
The lantern-making tradition here traces back centuries to when Hoi An served as a major trading port, welcoming merchants from Japan, China and across Southeast Asia. These lanterns are typically bamboo-framed, wrapped in silk or fabric and shaped like lotuses, fish or teardrops, reflecting the Japanese and Chinese influences from the town’s merchant history.
Further north, Hanoi’s Old Quarter and nearby areas like Thanh Oai District preserve different lantern traditions. The most recognizable is the five-pointed star lantern (đèn ông sao), which has become synonymous with Mid-Autumn celebrations.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, known in Vietnamese as Tết Trung Thu, is one of Vietnamese’s most cherished holidays. It’s celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. During this time, families gather to honor ancestors, share mooncakes and watch children parade through neighborhoods carrying colorful lanterns, a tradition that transforms the entire communities into a glowing wonderland. Made of bamboo sticks and colored cellophane, the lantern has been a staple of countless Vietnamese childhoods.
Other traditional designs include spinning lanterns (đèn kéo quân) featuring rotating shadow scenes that historically used to pass down folk tales and moral lessons from generation to generation through moving silhouettes cast on walls. These cylindrical lanterns contain detailed paper cutouts depicting scenes from Vietnamese legends, such as the tale of Tấm Cám or the story of Thạch Sanh, that come alive when the lantern spins from the heat of a candle placed inside. The rotating motion creates a mesmerizing shadow theater on nearby surfaces, transforming simple paper and bamboo into an enchanting educational tool that has captivated children for centuries.
These lanterns, which are often handmade in family workshops using techniques passed down through generations, carry profound symbolic weight. They represent light, hope, family reunion and the preservation of traditional values in an ever-changing world.
A Declining Tradition
Mass-produced plastic lanterns, primarily imported from China, have steadily replaced traditional handmade versions over the past decade. As these cheaper alternatives flood the market, many craftspeople have been forced to either adapt or abandon their trade altogether.
One of the few artisans still actively preserving the craft is Nguyễn Văn Quyền, a Meritorious Artisan in Thanh Oai District, Hanoi. For over 70 years, Quyền has made spinning lanterns using traditional methods. He was officially recognized by the Vietnamese government in 2019 for his contributions to intangible cultural heritage. His lanterns are made entirely by hand, from bamboo frames to painted paper, and are sometimes featured in cultural exhibitions and educational programs.
A Glimmer Of Revival
Despite these challenges, younger Vietnamese artisans are beginning to revisit and revitalize the craft. Notable examples include the Hoi An Craft team, which recently gained international recognition by winning first place in the Ocean International Lantern Design Competition with their record-breaking creation "Hồn thiêng đất Việt - The Sacred Soul of Vietnam." This masterpiece, crafted by eight artisans over three months, showcases innovative approaches to traditional lantern-making by using locally sourced paper made from nipa palm trees, a sustainable alternative developed through five years of research.
In recent years, private entrepreneurial efforts have opened in Hanoi and Saigon, offering lantern-making classes, particularly to schoolchildren and tourists looking for “authentic” Vietnamese experiences. Luxury hotels like InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 now host Bamboo Lantern Making Workshops, where traditional culture artisans teach participants aged six and above how to craft handmade lanterns using folk materials, demonstrating how traditional crafts are finding new venues and audiences in contemporary Vietnam.
In Hoi An, the monthly lantern festival, which is promoted by the city’s culture department, attracts thousands of visitors and provides a steady demand for lantern makers. During these events, the ancient town transforms as electric lights are dimmed and hundreds of traditional lanterns illuminate the streets, creating an atmosphere that transports visitors back centuries. Some enterprising artisans have even developed portable, foldable lantern designs specifically for tourists who want to take authentic Vietnamese crafts home.
Lighting The Way Forward
Lanterns in Vietnam have always been more than decorations. They represent a living craft, tied to oral tradition, community and spirituality. Whether spun in shadow by elders or reimagined by young entrepreneurs, they continue to light the way for cultural identity in a rapidly modernizing nation.
And as long as artisans, both seasoned and emerging, continue to carry the flame, Vietnam’s lightkeepers ensure that its lanterns won’t fade into memory.