(VOVworld)- The full moon of the 8^th lunar month is observed as the Mid-Autumn festival, the children’s festival. For children, this is one of the most exciting festivals at which they receive lots of fun toys and enjoy moon cakes. Manually made traditional toys are indispensable for children during the Mid-Autumn festival.

In the several days before the Mid-Autumn festival, which falls on the 15^th day of the 8^th lunar month, Hang Ma street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is already bustling with a wide range of colorful fun toys on sale. In recent years, traditional hand made toys have replaced imported toys and are in great demand by kids during the festival. In shops on Hang Ma street paper masks depicting different characters including the Land genie, pigs, buffaloes, rabbits, and lions and lanterns of different shapes, styles and sizes are on display.

Nguyen Ky, the father of a 5-year old, says he wants to buy some traditional Vietnamese toys for his son because they are beautiful and fun to play with and at the same time they are associated with Vietnam’s culture and history: “Playing with traditional toys, which are hand made by Vietnamese craftsmen is a way to promote our culture and educate children about national traditions. It is good to make children understand the messages and stories behind traditional toys like the carp-lanterns, star-shaped lanterns and paper doctors because it helps them understand traditional culture and inspires patriotism”.

Ky says he particularly likes the little drums that the children often play during the Mid-Autumn festival: “It’s really fun to parade star-shaped lanterns at the Mid-Autumn festival. The star-shaped lantern is the symbol of the festival and lights way to the future for the children. The drum reminds us the old days when drums urged soldiers to the front to save the nation. There are many meanings behind the drum so I bought one for my son”.

Ms Thu Huyen is looking for a carp-shaped lantern for her daughter. Huyen says kid toys are diverse, colorful and beautiful but there’s only one Mid-Autumn festival a year, so she wants to buy a traditional Vietnamese toy for her kid: “I bought two carp-shaped lanterns and a quadrilateral lantern. Lanterns are the most popular toy and also the traditional symbol of the Mid-Autumn festival. Through this game, I hope my kids will learn more about traditional Vietnamese culture”.

Traditional Vietnamese toys are  hand made in handicraft villages on the outskirts of Hanoi. These days craftsmen have to work from dusk to dawn because of the full moon festival. Ms Nguyen Thi Tuyen of Van Canh village on the outskirt of Hanoi specializes in making star-shaped lanterns and paper doctors. Tuyen says she has more orders this year: “We started making these products in the 6^th lunar month and will be busy until the middle of the 8^th lunar month. Paper doctors are the most in demand because parents want to buy them for their children during the Mid-Autumn festival in the hope that their children will be successful in their studies”.

Although many other toys are available at the Mid-Autumn market, traditional toys remain popular because they are associated with every Vietnamese person’s childhood. Ms Tuyen again: “Folk toys are closely associated with my childhood. When I was small, my grandparents and parents made these toys for the mid-Autumn festival. I still remember how happy and excited I was when I paraded the lanterns under the full moon. These memories motivated me to pursue my job”.

Traditional Vietnamese toys have become more popular in the mid-Autumn market. This shows how much Vietnamese people value their tradition and culture even in today’s modern world.