Strange scene in the famous star lantern making village in Ninh Binh

Bao Dap village has long been famous for its traditional craft of making star lanterns. This is considered the largest star lantern production “capital” in the North, with about 300 out of more than 1,000 households participating in production.

Every year, Bao Dap village produces hundreds of thousands of star lanterns to serve the market in and outside the province. The busiest production period is from May to August of the lunar calendar.

Bao Dap star lanterns come in all sizes, from small 15cm to large 1m, with prices ranging from 5,000 VND to 100,000 VND/piece.

During the peak season, the whole village, from young to old, is busy making lanterns, creating a very bustling atmosphere. However, this year, even though the Mid-Autumn Festival is less than a month away, many households have not been able to export their products. The production atmosphere is also quite quiet.

Mr. Vu Van Trung (born in 1959), who has been making star lanterns for more than half a century, said that at this time last year, his family was almost "out of stock".

However, this year there are very few orders so his family can only make a small amount. This Mid-Autumn Festival, his family will only make about 300-400 of the largest (1m) ones.

According to Mr. Trung, to make a complete star lantern, the craftsman must prepare very early and go through many meticulous steps.

Since January, craft families have been gradually preparing the materials to make star lanterns, starting with buying bamboo from Thanh Hoa , cutting it into pieces and soaking it in ponds. After soaking for a sufficient amount of time, the bamboo is taken out to dry, split into small pieces to make the frame.

The jute stalks used to make the lamp handles are also dyed and dried in the sun to ensure that the lamp handles are both strong and light. Colorful cellophane and other materials are also prepared in advance, ready for the lamp making season.

By the fifth lunar month, to supply goods to the market in time, the whole village enters the main production phase.

The five-pointed star-shaped frames made from flexible bamboo strips, fixed with small steel wires, and supported with small bamboo sticks, will be covered with colorful cellophane. This step is called waving the lantern, with 12 times of “lifting up and putting down”.

The entire production process is done by hand. Even the glue is made from rice flour according to a special recipe, which helps the glue stick more firmly. Thanks to that, the lantern is durable, beautiful and safe for children. On average, one person can make about 100 small star lanterns per day.

“The lantern waving stage is the most difficult because it requires meticulousness, dexterity and high precision. In this step, the worker must apply the glue evenly and then stick the cellophane paper onto the frame so that it fits tightly, without peeling or shifting.

After waving the lantern, we will enter the ring of fire by wrapping colorful tasseled paper around a thin bamboo stick, then bend it around the star," said Mr. Trung.

Although the Mid-Autumn Festival toy market is increasingly diverse and rich, Bao Dap star lanterns still have their own place.

However, according to the households involved in the craft, the reason why this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival is somewhat gloomy is partly due to the impact of the general economic situation. Most households are working at a moderate pace, with output sharply down compared to previous years.

Mr. Bui Van Huan (born in 1960, resident of Hong Quang ward), who has been making star lanterns for more than half a century, said that his family specializes in making medium and small-sized star lanterns. This year, his family only made about 10,000, much less than in previous years.

“At this time every year, my family has sold almost all of their products and is only completing additional orders. However, this year, we still haven’t been able to ship the first batch,” he worried.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/canh-khac-la-o-lang-lam-den-ong-sao-noi-tieng-o-ninh-binh-2440504.html