Lanterns in the Wind

If you grew up in Vietnam within the last century, you would probably find these see-through, handcrafted lanterns evoke a sense of nostalgia.

Traditional Mid-Autumn lanterns are made by building the frameworks with thinly cut, bendable bamboo sticks. Glassy papers are then glued onto the skeletons, which are now taking shapes of different animals and objects. They are finally painted over and fake furs are sometimes added. Just light a candle inside and every kid in the neighborhood would have a memorable Mid-Autumn Festival.

Because of high production costs and low earnings, plus the arrival of mass produced, plastic, battery-operated lanterns bearing appearances of popular characters like Pikachu or Hello Kitty that were making their way from China in the mid to late nineties, the craftsmen and craftswomen of traditional lanterns began to retire their artmaking to look for more stable work.

In 2017, there was a resurgence of these colorful lanterns. The interest in national identity and traditional culture possessed by the young Vietnamese people of today, combined with the older generations’ unwavering stance against the winds of modernity, reignited the desire to conserve any aspect of culture that’s on the brink of extinction. Small lanterns, but a huge statement.

The particular lanterns in this shot are entirely handmade, but have employed the convenience of battery-operated lights. Adaptation at its best, I would say.

Photo & story by Stefan Do