The Mid-Autumn Festival is soon to arrive with three weeks to go. Local people in Bao Dap village of Hong Quang commune, Nam Truc district, in the Red River Delta province of Nam Dinh, are busy making star-shaped lanterns for the upcoming celebrations.

Despite the dominance of modern, plastic toys over traditional ones, Bao Dap villagers continue to practice their traditional craft, making star-shaped lanterns for Mid-Autumn Festival. The lanterns are made from simple materials: bamboo, glazed paper, and the trunks of jute trees. All assembly is done completely by hand. There are three sizes of star-shaped lanterns with diameters of 30cm, 40cm or 50cm. Half of the 1,000 households in the village continue to produce star-shaped lanterns. Every year, the village produces up to 2 million lanterns which are sold across the nation. Although Bao Dap village’s products are not currently exported abroad, the village prestige is renowned nationwide, as their products have been sold throughout the country, bringing joy and happiness to children on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival. –VNA