Traditional toys make a comeback

Mid-Autumn traditional toys are considered to be special as they not only bring joy to children but are also a cultural treasure imbued with national identity, furthermore they are associated with the stories of childhood of many generations throughout Vietnam.

 

On the occasion of the upcoming Mid-Autumn 2015, many streets in Hanoi’s old-quarter are becoming crowded with sellers and buyers as well as thousands of eye-catching and colourful toys for children.

 

Children are amused with colourful lanterns made in Vietnam. (Credit: VNA)

In recent years, cheap and shoddy imported toys from China were mainly being sold; however this year, consumers intend to purchase Vietnamese traditional toys including star-shaped lanterns, colourful masks, wooden drums, fish-shaped lanterns and decorative multi-coloured lanterns.

This year, Vietnamese mid-Autumn traditional toys have been designed to be more diverse and appealing with affordable prices ranging from VND20,000 - VND60,000 each. Illuminated lanterns playing familiar Vietnamese mid-Autumn songs are popular products at this years festival. They all have passed quality tests and are marked with their correct origin of production.

 

The Ky Thuat Moi (New Techniques) Package Limited Company, specialising in producing toys for children, has provided the domestic market with 120 decorative multi-coloured lanterns. Many of them were designed and decorated following various themes, such as the landscapes of Vietnam and the country’s sea and islands as well as images of national heroes and traditional cultural identities, contributing to educating and furthering patriotism among younger generations.

 

The company has decided to discount the prices of many of their lanterns to prices lower than that of Chinese products in order to gain a larger share of the domestic market and reduce the influence of Chinese toys on the market in addition to supplying children with high-quality domestic products.

 

Notably, traditional paper-mache masks which feature images of Vietnamese characters, such as Teu, Cuoi, the Earth God and the rabbits, are becoming more popular over plastic masks with shapes of comic strip characters, supermen and devils from China.

 

“This year, mid-autumn toys made in Vietnam are very much in demand due to the large number of diverse designs; meanwhile Chinese goods have been sold less frequently despite their cheaper price tags”, said Huong, the owner of a toy shop on Hang Ma street.

 

It seems that parents are fully aware of the importance of helping their children to select useful and safe traditional folk toys.

 

Traditional toys are capturing the hearts of numerous customers not only because they are safer than products made in China but also buyers are interested in preserving and retaining aspects of traditional culture in today’s modern climate.

 

The social activities not only encourage Vietnamese people to prioritise using Vietnamese goods but also contribute to nurturing the spiritual life of Vietnamese people, particularly in children – the future of the country.