Photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre News A nearly three-metre toad lantern is drawing families to a Mid-Autumn Festival display inside Ho Chi Minh City's Son Tra Communal House, using a familiar Vietnamese folk tale to bring traditional craft and seasonal customs to younger visitors. An old tale in a historic settingThe display is built around The Toad Sues Heaven, in which a toad leads animals to Heaven to ask for rain during a severe drought. Alongside the toad are oversized crab, bear, tiger, bee and fox lanterns. The figures fill the more than 160-year-old communal house, giving the tale a contemporary physical setting rather than presenting it only as a story. The organisers said the choice was partly shaped by recent extreme weather. After storms, floods and prolonged heat in 2025, with hot conditions continuing into 2026, Tang The Culture Lab member Ton Bao Minh said the group returned to the story's theme of seeking rain. Made by hand over 80 daysThe lanterns are made from bamboo strips and do paper, a traditional material used in Vietnamese handicrafts. The full installation took about 80 days and nights from concept through to assembly, according to Minh. Children have responded to the scale and animal shapes, while older visitors have spent longer studying the materials and construction. The exhibition, called Coc Coc Tung Tung, is jointly organised by Khoi Dang Tac Khi and Tang The Culture Lab. Guided presentations at set times explain both the communal house and the folk tale, while the worship area includes a Mid-Autumn offering table and free traditional cakes and preserves. A seasonal visit for familiesThe display runs until 11 October. It is open from 1pm to 8pm on weekdays and from 9am to 8pm at weekends. Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 25 September this year, when lantern parades, lion dances, mooncakes and community events are widely associated with the eighth lunar month. What it means for foreigners in VietnamFor foreign residents and visitors, the exhibition offers a low-key way to experience a Vietnamese seasonal tradition beyond commercial lantern streets and shopping centres. It may suit families, photographers and anyone interested in folk stories or traditional craft. Check guided-presentation times before travelling and allow for busier periods closer to the festival. The venue is inside Son Tra Communal House in Ho Chi Minh City, so visitors should treat it as a cultural site and follow any local guidance on behaviour and photography. 7 September 2026
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