Exhibition of ancient mid-autumn lanterns in a century-old communal house in Ho Chi Minh City

(NLDO) - The traditional lantern exhibition with the theme "Heavenly Horses Picking Up Fire" unexpectedly became an interesting place helping many young students and lecturers find inspiration.

Sharing with reporters of Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper on September 12, Ms. Nguyen Minh Nguyet, representative of the organizing committee, said that since opening the exhibition displaying the restoration of ancient lanterns at Son Tra Communal House (Tan Dinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the group has received many difficult questions from young people who are students, university students, and lecturers who are passionate about art and love the traditional beauty of Vietnam.

Exhibition of ancient mid-autumn lanterns recreated inside a century-old communal house in Ho Chi Minh City

Tran Phuong Vi (Thu Duc ward, Ho Chi Minh City) poses for a photo with the 20-meter-long Dai Long lantern.

"I was made difficult but I was very happy. This shows that young people come to this exhibition not to find a place to "check-in" for the Mid-Autumn Festival but to care about the values ​​of origin. I am very happy and willing to answer your questions, this is also what the group wants when organizing a traditional lantern exhibition like this" - Ms. Nguyet expressed.

According to Ms. Nguyet, the group chose the theme "Heavenly horse picking up fire", inspired by the image of the praying mantis - an insect associated with childhood, but gradually being forgotten in modern life. Besides, the praying mantis is listed in the Red Book, the group wants to send a profound message that: Traditional cultural values, if not respected and preserved, will also face the risk of disappearing like the "heavenly horse".

Truong Anh Linh, an English lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH), carefully took photos of each pattern on an ancient lantern. "Instead of using photos on the Internet, I prefer to research and take photos like this myself. These will be valuable materials to help my lectures become more vivid and intuitive. Thanks to that, I also have more interesting experiences to share with my students" - Ms. Anh Linh shared.

Ms. Minh Nguyet (in pink ao dai), representative of the organizing committee, said that there are more than 50 lanterns on display at Son Tra Communal House. Many ancient lantern models that have disappeared for more than 100 years have been restored by the group's young members, vividly and carefully in every detail.

Every day, the group welcomes about 50 visitors. Each visit does not exceed 12 - 15 people. This is to ensure that visitors have the most intimate experience, easily asking questions if they have any questions about Vietnamese culture and history.

Exhibition of ancient lanterns in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City attracts many young people

Tuyet Anh, a student at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts, excitedly said she found inspiration for her final assignment at the exhibition.

"I have been to many places, even backpacking all the way to Hanoi , but I still haven't found the right inspiration. When I arrived here, I was "fascinated" and very impressed with the Dai Long lantern, 20 meters long. The lantern frame is made entirely of bamboo fibers but is very softly curved. These techniques require the artisan to have very high skills" - Tuyet Anh commented.

The Dai Long lantern, 20 meters long, was restored in about 1.5 months with a team of more than 10 people. The cost after completion was about 80 million VND. Previously, the group restored a 40 meter long dragon lantern.

The Fire-Towing Horse Lantern (left) and the Transforming Fisherman Lantern (right)

The group representative said that in recent years, glass paper lanterns have gradually revived and started to receive large orders. Glass paper lanterns cost from several million to hundreds of millions of dong.

"The number of orders is huge but the current number of craftsmen and artisans in the workshop is not enough. We hope that through this exhibition we can help many young people understand that traditional professions can still survive and develop well in today's modern times" - Ms. Nguyet expressed.

The exhibition recreating the ancient Mid-Autumn Festival in the heart of the city opens from 2:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day, lasting until October 12.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/trien-lam-long-den-trung-thu-xua-trong-ngoi-dinh-tram-tuoi-o-tp-hcm-196250909151130944.htm