Mid-Autumn Festival: A Time of Joy and Tradition for Vietnamese Children
In Vietnam, the Mid-Autumn Festival holds a special place in the hearts of children. Also known as the Moon Festival or Reunion Holiday, this celebration is marked by the giving of gifts such as lanterns, masks, and, of course, the ever-present mooncakes. To create the beautiful mooncakes in various shapes, from pigs to carp, molds are essential.
In the days leading up to the festival, households in Thuong Cung Village, Tien Phong Commune, Thuong Tin, Hanoi, busily craft mooncake molds instead of their usual wooden furniture. These molds come in different sizes, with a typical round mold having a 10cm radius or a square mold with sides of 7-8cm and a height of 4-5cm. Sometimes, even larger molds are created to accommodate bigger mooncakes.
By Doan Duc & Anh Quan
The intricate wood lathing process, a key step in creating the mooncake molds.
Artisans carefully carve patterns into the molds, adding a touch of beauty and tradition to the mooncakes.
Scales are meticulously carved into a fish-shaped mold, creating a unique and detailed design.
A customer carefully examines the mooncake molds, choosing the perfect one for their Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.
Crafting these molds is a labor of love, with each worker able to produce 3 to 5 molds per day, depending on the complexity of the design.
Traditional patterns adorn the molds, adding a touch of cultural heritage to the mooncakes.
Artisans carefully calculate the right rate for the molds, ensuring a fair price for their handcrafted creations.
With precision, the artisan cuts the wood after drawing the intricate pattern, shaping it into a functional work of art.
The mold takes shape, customized to the customer’s wishes, ensuring a unique and personalized Mid-Autumn Festival treat.
The first step in the process is to create the mold’s hoop from a carefully selected piece of wood, setting the foundation for the entire mold.
Moon cake molds on display in a shop in Thuong Cung Village, each one a testament to the craftsmanship and tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
- A Festival of Lights and Delights
