On display are lanterns of all shapes and sizes. Around 70 outstanding lantern designs, which depict characters in fairy tales, colloquial stories and famously beautiful areas of the country, have been selected for the parade at the Nguyen Tat Thanh square on September 30, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mrs Hoang Anh Ngoc, a visitor from Hanoi, who was in Tuyen Quang for the first time said: “I was so amazed by these huge lanterns. I can’t imagine that people could make such giant lanterns which hold the record for being the biggest in Vietnam. The local people should be very proud of their festival.”

The Tuyen Quang City Festival this year will last until next Wednesday. Earlier, giant lanterns were on parade through major streets every evening. Local people in Tuyen Quang made lanterns in the shape of animals and characters in fairy tales for their children to enjoy the parades. Since then, these types of lanterns have become popular as they attract the attention of children. Each lantern has its own meaning and message. Talking about a lantern shape based on the fairy tale “Star fruit tree” Nguyen Duc Hao from Nong Tien ward said: “The moral of Star Fruit is that the greedy and the wicked lose in the end and the good prevail. From this story, children will learn important lessons for their life.”

A lantern shape based on the fairy tale “Star fruit tree”

 The Tuyen Quang city festival this year also contains many more events and activities besides the lantern parade, including special costumes, cuisine, ritual ceremonies, food, and sports. Truong Duc Tien, Head of the Culture and Information Department Tuyen Quang city said: “The festival has become an important cultural and social event as well as a unique tourist attraction in Tuyen Quang city. Imbued with the province’s cultural identities, it attracts a large number of domestic and foreign visitors.”