Local flavor

Hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks

Situated in the heart of Hanoi’s famous Old Quarter, there remains only one family which continues to persist with the tradition of making paper masks.

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26 August, 2022

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hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks picture 2 — However, over time the popularity of the traditional toy has gradually declined, with only a few artisans remaining attached to this profession.

hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks picture 3 — The family of Nguyen Van Hoa, 64, and Dang Huong Lan, 60, continue to maintain this craft in a nearly 30 square metre space in the attic of their house.

hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks picture 4 — With nearly 40 years of experience in this profession, the couple are the only two craftsmen in the capital who still use traditional mask-making techniques.

hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks picture 5 — According to Hoa, a mask maker must be patient, hardworking, meticulous, and skillful. Indeed, they must take care in every step of the process in order to create a good mask.

hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks picture 6 — He adds that painting the masks is one of the most important stages because it will determine the “soul” of the mask. Only when a colour is dry can the artisan paint a fresh colour.

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hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks picture 9 — After completion, the masks should be exposed to the sun as opposed to the dryer, because the dryer will curl and deform them.

hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks picture 10 — There are roughly 30 molds used for different characters in Hoa’s house.

hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks picture 11

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hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks picture 13 — The couple said that despite none of their children wanting to continue their family business, they will stick with this job until their health doesn’t allow them to do it anymore.

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hanoi family maintains tradition of paper masks picture 15 — Ahead of the Mid-Autumn, the couple make more than 2,000 masks of all kinds, with the price ranging from tens of thousands to several hundreds of thousands of VND, depending on the type, size, and colour of the mask.

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