The home of these beautiful Vietnamese Silk lanterns is Hoi An - a world cultural heritage site which was one of the major trading centres of Southeast Asia in the 16th-17th century.  Today, this enchanting town is a living museum dedicated to the past.

Asian silk lantern trade has a rich, long history in Vietnam.  In ancient times, Vietnamese people made lamps out of shallow bowls filled with oil, and from the bamboo fish traps.  Later, in the 1700's foreign traders introduced lanterns from China and Japan.  Vietnamese people really transformed them into very charming and beautiful lanterns with Vietnamese silk materials.  Hoi An lanterns come in various sizes and shapes, and the local people are incredibly proud of their lanterns. 

They are made using old bamboo soaked about ten days in salt water to protect against insects, then dried and shaped.  Cloth must be silk and be tough enough for stretching.  Making these lanterns requires great skill and patience!  The fabric is 100% silk (from silk worms in Vietnam), with tassel colours matching as close as possible.  The colours, the shapes and the patterns on the silk are meaningful. 

On the 15th of every lunar month in the old quarter of Hoi An, the locals turn off their street lamps and fluorescent lights, leaving the town bathed in the warm glow of coloured silk lanterns.  Lanterns also hang from the altars of each Hoi An family.  They have the beautiful Chinese word that is the name of each clan, or the three famous words:  Happiness, Fortune and Longevity.  Lanterns light up every corner of the town when there are the traditional opera performances, poem readings and chess competitions during monthly full moon festivals.  The lanterns really bring the great charm to this ancient town.