Ong Hao Village - Bright area of Mid-Autumn memories

Artisan Vu Huy Dong makes Mid-Autumn toys.

For a long time, Ong Hao village, Nguyen Van Linh commune, Hung Yen province has been known as one of the cradles of traditional Mid-Autumn toy making in the North. The village's traditional craft has existed since the late 80s and early 90s of the last century.

With their talented hands and persistent love for the craft, the craftsmen here have created papier-mâché masks, frog drums, lion heads, lanterns, star lanterns… not only for entertainment, but also to preserve the soul of the Mid-Autumn Festival imbued with Vietnamese identity. Each item is the crystallization of sophisticated manual techniques and folk creativity, imbued with the cultural love of the people here for the full moon festival.

Although the path to preserving and passing on the craft here is not without its difficulties, in recent years, Ong Hao toy village has been changing strongly. Thanks to the joint efforts of artisans, the community and young people who love national culture, folk toys have returned to schools, museums and traditional festivals. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival is not only an occasion for reunion but also a space for traditional values to be revived and spread.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, welcoming the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, the traditional toys of Ong Hao village still silently tell the story of an ancient craft village.

Although many households in Ong Hao village have switched to other occupations, artisan Vu Huy Dong’s family has persistently kept the old profession alive. His house has become a familiar stop for tourists who want to learn about the craft of making Mid-Autumn toys here.

Each household making Mid-Autumn toys in the Village can sell tens of thousands of pieces each season. This has made the craftsmen busy, forcing them to start the season earlier.

Artisan Vu Huy Dong, 71, who has been making papier-mâché masks for over 40 years, said that Hao village is one of the few places where the Mid-Autumn Festival can be celebrated early. About a month before the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, traders begin to flock to the village to collect goods. Each year, the number of products ordered increases significantly.

To create a toy, the maker must go through the main stages. First, cardboard and white paper are applied to a cement mold with tapioca starch to create a rough shape. After drying, the rough product is painted and hand-drawn, giving life to the funny shapes.

Making papier-mâché masks is not difficult, but to create a soulful product, the craftsman needs to be skillful and meticulous in every stage, especially the coloring and drawing of the final lines.

Amidst the vibrant but soulless industrial toy market, Lieu Xa village’s products still hold their own – rustic, simple yet attractive. At present, a paper lion mask or head costs around 50,000 VND. Frog drums, depending on their size, cost from 20,000 VND to 200,000 VND each.

Mid-Autumn Festival toys from Ong Hao village come in a variety of shapes, simulating characters such as Thi No, Chi Pheo, Ong Dia, Ton Ngo Khong, Tru Bat Gioi, animals,... priced from 20,000 to 50,000 VND/piece.

Each handmade product not only brings pure joy to childhood but also serves as a cultural bridge, connecting traditional values that are being overwhelmed by time and modernity.

Making Mid-Autumn toys not only brings stable income to households but also contributes to the development of the local economy . This helps artisans and skilled workers have more motivation, peace of mind to preserve and promote traditional handicrafts.

In recent years, in order to create something new and attractive, Ong Hao villagers have constantly innovated, bringing comic book characters such as Spider-Man, Batman, princesses and princes into their products, meeting the diverse tastes of children.

From the rough bamboo drum bodies, the craftsmen of Hao village have skillfully covered them with leather and handcrafted them to create meaningful Mid-Autumn drums.

From the dedication and passion of the craftsmen, folk toys are affirming their cultural position, creating a unique mark for each Mid-Autumn Festival.

Amidst the bustling sound of lion drums during the full moon season, the folk toys in Ong Hao village still quietly tell the story of the craft village, of a beautiful Vietnamese culture that is being preserved and passed down through many generations of people here.

Nguyen The Duong

Nhandan.vn

Source: https://nhandan.vn/lang-ong-hao-vung-sang-cua-ky-uc-trung-thu-post899550.html