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FOCUS | 焦点

If the moon were a bridge

英国人李·巴雷特——美好缘分刚刚开始
月亮是座什么桥

By Li Ling, Chen Chen, and Wang Huan □ 李玲 陈晨 王欢 / 文

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a cherished into the heart." ancestral craft. to the festival, temporary mooncake shops
holiday in both China and Vietnam. In Chi- At the Mid-Autumn Festival-Themed ba- “The moon is a cultural bridge,” he said. sprouted along Hanoi’s streets. Even in the
na, it symbolizes family reunion and joy; zaar, the tangguozi (traditional Chinese con- “To widen this bridge, I am now training rain, motorbike riders flocked to buy them.
in Vietnam, it is a special time celebrating fectionery) booth attracted a steady stream five apprentices, continuously innovating so The festive spirit filled the Old Quarter—
children’s well-being and familial together- of visitors. Ruan Zhimin, an inheritor of that our heritage can travel even farther.” shops selling star-shaped lanterns, Chang’e
ness. tangguozi craftsmanship, remarked, “Both Nguyen Thi Huu, founder of Vietnam’s posters, carp lanterns, and children’s toys
If the moon were a bridge, what kind of Chinese and Vietnamese families celebrate Magic Colors studio, presented a series of saw growing crowds.
bridge would it be? Everyone holds their the Mid-Autumn Festival with mooncakes visually striking table lamps inspired by In a souvenir shop, clerk Bui Huy Hoang
own beautiful and profound answer. and pastries. When I was young, my grand- Dong Ho paintings. “Dong Ho painting is pointed to a special Chang’e poster de-
On September 25, the “Under the Moon- mother would make these treats for our an intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam. signed for the holiday. “Customers really
lit Clouds, Lasting Neighborly Ties” Chi- family. Now, as a pastry chef, I carry on this By integrating it into functional lamps, we love this design,” he said. “It was created
na‑Vietnam Mid‑Autumn Gala was held at tradition by making them for my own loved can make this traditional art more appealing by young Vietnamese artists. If the moon is
the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet in ones. The moon is more than a bridge; it is a to younger generations,” she explained, a bridge, then for us, it is an artistic bridge.
Hanoi. Gathered under the luminous moon, circle, embodying reunion and wholeness.” hoping these handcrafted pieces would, like In this artwork, Chang’e isn’t in her Moon
the audience experienced the poetic harmo- Nearby, the dough-sculpting stall run moonlight, find their way into the hearts of Palace; she’s sitting at a Vietnamese street
ny of “gazing upon the same moon from by Dang Van Hau was surrounded by an people in China. stall on a full-moon night, sipping iced tea.
across the world.” admiring crowd. With dexterous fingers, he At Dinh Thi Tu Anh’s mooncake stand, Through this kind of creative expression,
Jiang Xiaochun, a musician from Chi- skillfully shaped colorful dough into chil- the rich aroma of butter filled the air. Her we blend youthful artistic vision with tradi-
na’s Nu ethnic group, explained that the Nu dren holding lanterns, trays laden with fruit, mooncakes bore distinctive shapes: fish tional festivals, allowing cultures to meet in
people hold deep reverence for the moon, and even Monkey King from Journey to pressed with wave patterns symbolizing the realm of boundless imagination.”
with many of their folk tales revolving the West, each piece carrying the gentle ele- abundance year after year; dragons en-
around it. “We brought to Hanoi our new gance distinctive of Vietnamese dough art. “I graved with auspicious clouds representing
song, The Moon in the Valley, to share both chose these themes because Journey to the health and good fortune. “I’m the third
the longing and joy the moon evokes in us,” West is dearly loved in Vietnam, familiar to generation in my family making moon-
he said. “While exploring the ancient streets both young and old,” he explained while ad- cakes. Our ancestors used these designs a
of Hanoi, I experienced the local urban justing Monkey King’s cape. “Using stories century ago to pray for reunion,”
culture, seeing the shopkeepers calling out that both cultures understand as a shared she said, holding up a drag-
to customers by the Train Street, residents language helps dough sculpture connect on-shaped cake with a smile.
sipping coffee by the roadside, and feeling with hearts more quickly.” Hailing from La “I want people from both
their passion for life through the smiles on Village, Phung Ngoc Son, Hanoi, the cradle countries to taste this sweet-
their faces. Like moonlight, such warmth of Vietnamese dough sculpture, he has de- ness of Mid-Autumn.”
requires no translation; it shines directly voted over two decades to preserving this In the days leading up