Hội An lanterns: the full-moon nights, how they are made, and how to bring one home

When the sun goes down, Hội An’s old town lights up in silk: red, yellow and green lanterns strung across the lanes and mirrored in the Thu Bồn river. They are not a show put on for visitors. Families here have made them for generations.

Why Hội An

From the 16th to the 19th century Hội An was a busy trading port where Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese merchants lived side by side. Lanterns came with the Chinese and Japanese houses, and they stayed. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the lanterns are its signature.

The full-moon nights

On the 14th night of every lunar month, the eve of the full moon, the old town dims its electric lights and lets the lanterns shine. There is music in the streets, and people float small candle lanterns (hoa đăng) on the river for luck. Check a lunar calendar when you plan your days.

How a lantern is made

1. The frame. Bamboo is split into thin ribs, soaked and bent into shape: round, ribbed like a garlic bulb, or long like a teardrop.
2. The silk. Silk is cut into panels and glued to the ribs one by one, pulled tight so the lantern glows evenly.
3. The finish. Tassels go on the bottom and a hook on top. Your first one takes a while, and that is fine.

Bringing one home

• Ask for a folding lantern: the frame collapses flat and opens again at home.
• Check that the silk is glued tight with no gaps and the ribs are smooth.
• Pack it in your carry-on, not in the hold.
• At home, use a small LED bulb, never a candle.

Make your own

In our Lantern Making with a Family session you bend the bamboo, stretch the silk and light your own lantern with a third-generation lantern maker by the Thu Bồn river. We fold it and pack it for your flight.