Tò he tells heritage stories

From simple handfuls of rice flour, he breathed life into a folk hobby as a bridge between nostalgia and creativity, so that today's Mid-Autumn Festival still retains the full flavor of the past in a new, vibrant look.

From childhood game to lifelong career

Located along the Nhue River, Xuan La village (Phuong Duc commune, Hanoi ) is the only cradle in the country that has preserved the craft of making clay figurines for over 300 years. These small, pretty dough figurines have been preserved for generations through the “father-to-son” tradition.

In that flow, artisan Dang Van Hau (born in 1985) has become a typical face of the talented young generation, both inheriting and creating. Since childhood, Hau has followed his grandfather, artisan Dang Xuan Ha, wandering all over the countryside. For nearly two decades, he has not only created exquisite works but also opened free classes for children, organized community experiences, participated in performances at museums, fairs... to give his hometown's heritage more vitality in contemporary life.

According to Mr. Hau, at first, the to he only had the shape of a stork, but later a whistle was added to make the sound “tò te tí te”, so people called it “tò he”. Different from the powdered figurines used in religious rituals, to he is more for entertainment and education , becoming a folk toy associated with childhood.

“The essence of the craft is not only in the skillful hands but also in the materials and colors. Glutinous rice flour mixed with sugar, dyed with natural colors: Red from gac fruit, yellow from sophora japonica flowers, green from leaves, black from bamboo charcoal, white from rice…”, he shared. From that traditional color background, Hau also created a richer color palette, called “color paste”. And the saying “First red, second yellow” is still repeated, as an affirmation: Red and yellow are the two colors that make the to he bright and attractive in the festival space.

Tò he tells heritage stories - photo 3 — "Mid-Autumn Lantern Procession" set by artist Dang Van Hau. Photo: NVCC

His works combine exquisite technique with love for the craft. The Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern Procession impresses by recreating the scene of children dancing and singing under the moon, with the lion head in the center - a symbol of fortune, peace, bountiful harvests and community cohesion. When "miniatured" on a rice flour background, the lion head both retains its simplicity and becomes a meaningful work of art.

Not stopping at Mid-Autumn Festival, Hau also uses clay figurines to tell heritage stories. Traditional opera appears with costumes and symbolic gestures; Ca Tru recreates the female lead in ao dai next to a tea tray, the sound of clappers and stone zither; The mouse wedding in Dong Ho paintings is transformed into a lively scene using dough figurines. In particular, the image of Co Doi Thuong Ngan in the Mother Goddess religion is also gracefully portrayed by him with a green dress, floral scarf and soft dance movements...

For artisan Dang Van Hau, to he is not just a childhood game, but an artistic language to convey heritage. He hopes that each product will become a bridge to help the young generation feel and understand more deeply the traditional cultural values in the most intimate and vivid way.

Tò he tells heritage stories - photo 4 — Artisan Dang Van Hau (right) instructs young Japanese people on how to make clay figurines at the Setouchi Triennale 2025. Photo: NVCC

Cultural bridges and the journey of heritage renewal

In 2014, Dang Van Hau was awarded the title of Hanoi Artisan by the Hanoi People's Committee, becoming one of the youngest artisans to hold this title. By 2023, he continued to affirm his talent with two typical works: Mid-Autumn Lantern Procession (Special Prize at the Hanoi Craft Village Products Competition) and Traditional Tuong Hat Boi - a unique combination of the art of to he and traditional theater (B Prize at the Vietnam Handicraft Products Competition).

Also in that year, Hau brought to the world to participate in the Asia-Pacific Mask event in Busan (Korea), and the simple, rustic dough balls surprised international friends with their sophistication and vivid expressions.

Continuing the journey, at Setouchi Triennale 2025 (Japan's largest contemporary art festival, held every three years), Xuan La figurines appeared in the Vietnamese craft village space, making a strong impression on the international audience. Artisan Dang Van Hau shared: "Seeing Japanese children attentively observing and then enthusiastically making figurines themselves, I was very moved. That moment made me realize the enduring vitality of Vietnamese culture, simple yet familiar, both imbued with folk spirit and easily touching the hearts of friends from all over the world."

However, besides the pride, the craft of making to he figurines also faces many challenges: Fierce competition from industrial toys, fluctuating raw material costs, changing entertainment tastes... making the risk of extinction increasingly obvious. Artisan Dang Van Hau admits that if it only stops at preserving the traditional craft, it will be difficult for to he figurines to reach the younger generation - those who hold the future of the heritage.

Therefore, he chose a path that both preserves traditional techniques and innovates approaches: Putting to he on social networks, making instructional videos, organizing mini games, and combining them with contemporary art forms. These experiments open new doors, helping to he appear in today's life with a fresh and familiar appearance. "If the young generation is not interested, no matter how hard the previous generation tries, the profession will fade away. But if to he can accompany today's youth, this heritage will last forever," he expressed.

In his worries and aspirations, the talented artisan is still tirelessly on his journey to make to he figurines not only a childhood memory of the Northern Delta region, but also a cultural bridge, bringing the Vietnamese soul to the world, blending into contemporary life with enduring vitality and creativity.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/to-he-ke-chuyen-di-san-171072.html