(VOVWORLD) - Despite cheap plastic mooncake moulds being extremely popular among the domestic market, a family from Hanoi have maintained a tradition of crafting wooden mooncake molds for approximately 40 years.
The family of Tran Van Ban in Thuong Tin district of Hanoi have made countless moulds during the past 40 years and have been able to master the art of making mooncake moulds.
His family are usually at their busiest during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month each year.
In the process of making the moulds several different types of wood are used, although Ban works mainly with xa cu, also known as faux acajen, a kind of softwood.
Successfully making the mooncake moulds requires plenty of time, with the most meticulous part of the work being carving the designs into the mould.
Due to being a talented craftsman, the artisan is able to create hundreds of different moulds in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Ban is careful to correctly measure the mould’s dimensions.
New machinery is used to help the artisan reduce the time it takes to smoothen the mould.
The price of each item varies depending on their size and sophistication, ranging from VND200,000 to dozens of millions of VND per mould.
Traditional wooden molds have many advantages, such as being non-toxic, solid, and sharp, in addition to being able to be used for one hundred years.
As a craftsman, Ban says he will try to keep this tradition alive for as long as possible.