Irrespective of day and night, lanterns hung in front of houses or inside small shops all embellish tranquil space of the ancient streets more radiantly.
Many travelers love Hoi An. They love moments of sightseeing between silent space, ambling on romantic streets full of lanterns and sitting on boat to contemplate glistening Hoai river.
Wandering around the old streets, it is easy to encounter lovely lanterns hung on veranda
…or pendent with diverse colors and sizes at souvenir shops.
The main materials to make these lanterns are bamboo and silk. Bamboo used to create frame is the old kind, which is soaked carefully in salt water from 10 to 15 days to resist termites. After that, bamboo is dried, whittled into thin shape in order to be suitable for size of every kind of lantern.
Mulberry silk is tough so it is not torn as being strained on embroidery frame. Hoi An people like using Ha Dong silk to cover lanterns because this material makes light of lantern more illusory and vivid. To perfect a lantern, craftsmen also have to lathe wood, coat with paint or varnish, plait fringe and bend wire to form a hanger.
Lanterns are displayed for sale everywhere on Hoi An streets with different sizes and colors.
The trade relationship between Vietnam and countries of China, Japan, Holland and India in 16th – 17th century contributed to create an excellent culture of Hoi An commercial port. The lantern is the result of meeting between these cultures that its value as well as its specific shape became famous. Created for the purpose of serving demand of life, the lantern has gradually become sophisticated via skillful hands of artisans.
At night, walking across streets of Tran Phu, Chau Thuong Van, etc, it is so easy to be attracted by nice and brilliant lantern in dark.
Hoi An is more fanciful in cozy, soft yellow light from lanterns shining over lanes. Vehicles are commonly prohibited from transferring on ancient streets from 18h everyday so travelers can step slowly to enjoy Hoi An space at night.
In silence, seemingly lanterns are no longer decorative items but become a part of Hoi-An’s spirit.
In full-moon days and 14th lunar days every month, the festival of dropping flower lanterns is organized in Hoi An. Small groups of people flock to along Hoai river, gently drop flower lantern all over surface of the river and pray for peace and good lucks. Travelers can hire a small boat, rowing to the middle of the river, letting out flower lanterns and contemplating rows of twinkling lanterns in the two sides.
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