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Chinatown is home to hundreds of shops and kiosks that are now displaying colourful lanterns for this year’s full moon festival (Mid-Autumn Festival).

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The festive atmosphere is prevailing across every corner of the area, attracting hordes of people and visitors for a tour or shopping.

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Previously, local traders once specialized in selling paper-made lion and dragon heads, votive papers, and oriental medicinal herbs. Later, they have shifted to selling lanterns to meet market demand.

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More than 100 households are selling a variety of Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns, from traditional lanterns with bamboo frames to electronic lanterns that can play music.

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Many small children are curious about the eye-catching lantern that can be used on special occasions such as the Mid-Autumn Festival.

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Minh Phan, a resident of District 7, says not only my son but I myself also like to explore this street when the festival is drawing near.

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Enjoying the festive atmosphere and watching the colourful lanterns help people relive their youth, shoppers say.

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The lantern town is said to have existed for nearly half a century. The trade was first developed by few households on Phu Dinh street, and then joined by others on Luong Nhu Hoc and Nguyen An streets.

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Artisan Cao Hung, 67, says the craft of making military lanterns used during holidays, festivals or lunar New Year holiday is fading away. Such lanterns are now improved with patterns to cater to users’ taste, costing several hundred thousands of Vietnamese Dong each.

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My Quy, a small trader in the lantern town, says this year’s lantern prices vary, from just VND25,000 to several hundred thousands, depending on sizes and types. Many large-sized or meticulously crafted lanterns cost hundreds of thousands of VND.