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The Management Board of Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi’s Old Quarter, in collaboration with the Đình làng Việt Club, is organising a series of activities to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, blending traditional folk culture with creative spaces for younger generations.

The programme connects heritage sites, craft streets and traditional craft villages, highlighting young people as a creative force in preserving and carrying forward the nation’s cultural heritage.

The opening activity will be an exhibition on September 10 at the Hanoi Arts and Culture Centre at 22 Hang Buom Street, bringing traditional Mid-Autumn toys and cultural memories into a contemporary exhibition space.

The exhibition will feature a wide range of traditional Mid-Autumn toys and models, including star-shaped lanterns, carp-shaped lanterns, lion dance heads, paper figures and five-fruit trays.

Young people from the 1990s generation and Gen Z, together with artists and folk culture enthusiasts, have researched and revived traditional toys, giving familiar designs fresh and creative forms.

Following the opening ceremony on the evening of September 10, visitors will be able to explore the exhibition and take part in interactive activities and hands-on traditional toy-making experiences.

Artisans will guide visitors through the process of making traditional Mid-Autumn toys, helping younger generations experience and better understand the skills behind these folk creations.

A seminar on craft villages on September 18 and an exchange programme with Friends of Vietnam Heritage on September 13 will offer deeper insights into young people building creative startups inspired by traditional fine arts.

The lantern procession, one of the most anticipated activities of the programme, will take place on September 25, the full moon of the eighth lunar month, in the pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Around 1,000 people are expected to join the procession, which will feature 15 contingents combining lanterns, traditional performances and artistic displays.

Alongside lion, qilin and dragon dance troupes and traditional Mid-Autumn lanterns, two special lantern models inspired by Thap But (Pen Tower) and Dai Nghien (Ink Slab Tower) will feature in the procession.

Handcrafted from bamboo and layered dó (Poonah) paper, the Thap But and Dai Nghien lanterns honour the Vietnamese tradition of learning while bringing the heritage values of Hoan Kiem Lake into contemporary festive life.

Amid the festive atmosphere, young composer Truc Dong will introduce “Rước đèn trông trăng” (Carrying Lanterns), a new song specially composed for the Mid-Autumn Festival programme.

Members of the Đình làng Việt Club and volunteers are working to complete the artifacts and traditional toys in time for the exhibition and lantern procession.

Artisans meticulously work on every detail as they restore and create the traditional exhibits, preserving the craftsmanship and distinctive character of each piece.

The programme is expected to bring a vibrant Mid-Autumn Festival experience to Hanoi residents and visitors, combining traditional cultural activities with creative contemporary spaces.

Nguyen Duc Binh, head of the Đình làng Việt Club and a member of the organising committee, says the programme goes beyond a community festival, seeking to honour traditional cultural values and nurture an appreciation of folk culture among residents and tourists.

Organisers hope the programme will gradually become a signature annual community cultural festival for Hanoi, contributing to heritage preservation and the development of the capital’s cultural industries.

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