Saturday, October 03, 2009

Mid Autumn Festival

Mid autumn festival market

Yet another mid autumn festival is coming and it makes me feel older. I went to Hang Ma street to try to take some photos last night and I could feel the great atmosphere of it. Many parents had taken their children to shop as the festval is tonight.

Mid autumn festival market

I always enjoy going down there to watch people shopping for cakes, lanterns, fake money and many other things. In the old days, I had to make my own lantern with bamboo chop sticks and rubber bands to hold them together. I also used colored paper or notebook paper or newspapers to put around the sticks and glued them on with glue or rice. It was a fun thing to do with friends. Nowadays, parents buy beautiful lanterns which need batteries for music and light. The whole festival has become quite commercial and I personally think that children should do something special for themselve instead of buying from the market. I must be getting old?

9 comments:

Siran said...

It's interesting how people in Vietnam celebrate this festival just like we do in China!

This festival has been quite commercialized in China since I would remember (20 years ago...). But at the end of day, its essence is all about getting together with your family and appreciating the union, at least in China.

Does it symbolize about the same thing in Vietnam too?

Anonymous said...

I agree with you 100%.. but I'm not getting old... well at least I hope not.

Unknown said...

That's a great wig she's got on.

www.d2point0.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

With my age, over 30 is not old and I am sure we are same age :). I rememebered that I did the same thing when I was a kid and I miss that so much.
Toan

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Anonymous said...

@ Siran - Culturally, Vietnam follows every Chinese traditions from Chopsticks to Confucius to Lunar New Year. The Yue (Viet) was one of the Chinese tribes from the South (Nam).

@ God - Thanks for sharing. This reminded me so much of my childhood in Hanoi, especially Hang Ma St.

Mai said...

Ah I remember those good old days too trying to make my own but I didn't even have glue, we had to use rice. What fun is that in buying them because half the fun is trying to make it.

and....You're definitely not old.

thang @ noodlies said...

Great pics. Fyi, a new book is coming out about travels in Vietnam, Allen & Unwin Aust, called Destination Saigon: Adventures in Vietnam, www.destination-saigon.com

Van Cong Tu said...

Thanks all for commenting on my blog. Hope you guys have a good day