In the Son Tra communal house, which is over 100 years old, the light from more than 40 paper lanterns glows, illuminating the wooden pillars and tiled roof, turning the whole space into a sparkling picture of a village festival. Choosing Son Tra communal house as the exhibition venue is a unique idea because the communal house is not only a religious architectural work but also a festival center, a place to preserve the community lifestyle through many generations. When the lights are lit, they go beyond their display value, blending into collective memories, evoking the feeling of Tet reunion in the communal house yard.

Visitors take souvenir photos at the exhibition. Photo: KHOI DANG

From the entrance, the pair of lanterns called “Heavenly Horses Picking Up Fire” attracts all visitors’ eyes. The pair of lanterns are shaped like a praying mantis, with the body covered by a layer of shimmering jade green cellophane, bordered by orange-yellow. The mantis wings are delicately processed with thin, transparent cellophane, creating a sparkling, crystal-clear effect when light passes through. The two curved pincers of the green mantis embrace the bright red flame, creating a contrast that is both fierce and magical. “The work is inspired by the story of the mantis being a messenger sent to get coal to light the fire for the heavenly house. This species is also called duong lang, evoking a strong spirit and indomitable will. Through the image of animals, we want to call for the protection of rare animals and the cultural values ​​of the nation,” shared Ms. Nguyen Minh Nguyet, a member of the Khoi Dang Tac Khi group.

The crowd of people entering the exhibition area grew larger and larger, unable to help but admire the exquisitely designed lanterns such as: carp transforming into a dragon, butterfly, cancer, pheasant, five-colored flower lantern... Each lantern was associated with folk tales. A few children nimbly ran around, excitedly calling out the names of each animal, while the older people were slower, their eyes focused on the sophistication of each line and pattern.

In particular, at the center of Son Tra communal house is the giant 20m long "Dai Long uy nghi" lantern, inspired by Phu Day festival (Ninh Binh), which has become the soul of the exhibition. The dragon's head is made of many layers of cellophane stretched out, glued tightly to the bamboo frame very meticulously, helping the light inside to spread evenly. The dragon's body is assembled from dozens of bamboo frame compartments, covered with hundreds of cellophane pieces of green, yellow, red, orange to make dragon scales. When the light passes through, it creates a sparkling reflection, making the dragon's body appear to be writhing and lively. Student Hoang Ngoc Linh, Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts shared: "I was overwhelmed by the "Dai Long uy nghi" lantern. The huge dragon with bright round eyes, high horns, curved whiskers, wide open mouth and even white teeth, creates a majestic aura, as if it is wriggling, ready to rush out of the communal house, reaching for the vast blue sky".

After a tour, the exhibition invites visitors to stop and enjoy tea, eat traditional moon cakes, and listen to stories about the history of lanterns. These experiences turn the tour into a complete festival, where light, flavor and memories come together, opening up the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival scene. Thereby demonstrating the effort to maintain and develop traditional cultural values ​​in a modern context.

PHUONG NGAN

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/hoi-sinh-ky-uc-tu-long-den-giay-kieng-848588