Lantern Making In Hội An is probably the best way to try this traditional craft.
As well as being a stunningly beautiful place, the Vietnamese UNESCO world heritage site was fantastic for sight-seeing, food tasting, and hands on experiences.
Visiting the city with my sister, we tried making noodles from scratch towards my 52 new things of 2023. We also decided to try our hand at making our own unique lantern to take home.
Historical Hội An
Walking by the quaint yellow buildings in the old town of Hội An, where the pretty flowers and green foliage gently tumble from the rooftops and the seemingly endless black cables snake their way from wall to wall congregating at the occasional pylon and looping together in a mass of wire like some sort of mechanical nest, you can’t miss the colourful array of lanterns adorning the buildings.
The most notable symbol of Hội An is the lantern. They are ubiquitous with the city which also hosts the Hội An Lantern Full Moon Festival every full moon cycle.
Even when it’s not the festival, it feels like there is some sort of celebration happening, particularly at night as the almost carnival atmosphere comes alive.
The colourful lanterns hang on buildings, bridges, boats and light up the centre. Paper lanterns are lit too and left to float along the river.
Lights, Cameras, Lanterns
Walking through the old town by night and the streets are glowing. Hundreds of pretty lanterns decorate the doorways, ranging from single colours to eclectic patterns, luminating the faces of passers by as tourists stop for photos.
Walk through the old town by day, and there are numerous signs advertising lantern making workshops. Aside from a fridge magnet I don’t usually buy souvenirs on our travels. However, this was an opportunity to create my own traditional memento, so we decided to give it a go.
A Light-Hearted Teacher - Lantern Making In Hội An
My sister and I took a workshop one morning in a tiny market shop. Wooden lantern frames were piled on the floor, rolls of fabric in an array of rich colours were stacked up against the walls. The legs of the customary tiny chairs, just about slotted in amongst all the paraphernalia for us to be able to comfortably get crafty.
Helping us to make our lanterns was the very friendly shop owner, Hong. She could speak many languages, looked ridiculously young for her age, told jokes and made it a fun and relaxing experience.
In The Frame
The frames were already made which made it even easier to get crafty. There are some classes you can take which include making the actual frame. These cost more and require longer for the class.
Deciding which of the many, many, beautiful fabrics to use took me a while. I eventually settled on a rich orange which had a speckled gold thread running through it.
Our frame was pre-made to a very clever design which allowed it to fold down for easier transportation. Perfect for fitting into our luggage!
Material Matters - Lantern Making In Hội An
Hong cut our chosen fabric to the right size pieces – we could easily have done this part ourselves, but as she had lots of experience doing this she was able to nimbly slice through the right amount of material making sure none was wasted.
Seeing the lanterns prettily lighting up the old town, I’d assumed they would be made with traditional tools and techniques, so I was surprised to discover that it was glue we’d be using to attach the material to the frame.
Piecing It Together
Squeezing a line of adhesive along the top part of the wooden structure, I pressed the material on to the now tacky wood.
These delicate fabric decorations are extremely robust. I was cautiously trying to manipulate the material across the curved section of the frame. Hong took over for a moment, showing me that I could be much more forceful by pulling hard to stretch the silk over the wood.
With a new found flush of confidence I was away. Applying the glue, tacking on the initial part of the material, and pulling it taught to cover the open section. Any excess fabric was simply cut off with the scissors, although this did leave a rather raggedy edge.
Our lovely teacher told us not to worry. Feeling safe in her expert tuition I knew she would help us to make them look neat.
Finishing Touches - Lantern Making In Hội An
Once both my sister and I had completely covered the frame with our chosen materials, we were given a band to wrap around the top and the bottom openings. This was how to neaten off the finished product! Genius!
With high praise from our instructor, she showed us how to open and close the lantern so that we would easily be able to transport them home in one piece, ready for use.
Pleased With Our Morning Makes
We were very proud of our creations. It had been a nice relaxing morning, a fun way to spend time together and a great way to be in the moment and forget about the daily list of things to be done, all whilst learning more about this traditional craft.
Want To Try It Yourself?
- Our experience was with Hong Van, a very funny and friendly teacher. We spontaneously decided to make the lanterns with her as she was very friendly. She’s also speaks several languages and made jokes which made it a very fun and relaxing experience.
- If you do happen to visit, you can take a class with her. Find out where she is based, and other reviews here.
- If you visit Hội An, there are a multitude of classes available. Just stroll through the streets and you’ll find plenty of signs advertising opportunities to have a go at making a lantern.
- Have a look on line for kits or instructions to make one from the comfort of your own home if you aren’t planning a trip to Vietname anytime soon. You can find lots of different kits available on Etsy.
- Take a look at some of the other craft experiences I’ve tried for further inspiration.
Cost Of Experience
Our experience cost 200,000 Vietnamese Dong each, which in April 2023 was around £6.60.
It was great value for an hour of personal attention and tuition, and a take-home keepsake.
- If you’re looking to buy a kit on-line, they start from around £15.
Recommendations
- You don’t always have to book a class if you want to make a lantern, many of the stalls in Hội An will happily take walk ins, like Hong Van did with us.
- Have fun and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it, this is your experience and your souvenir.
- If you don’t have much time, look for a class that already has the frame assembled.
- Don’t forget to take a picture of your finished creation to share your experience.