Vietnamese Tet at Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

Participants had an opportunity to learn how to make a Chung (square sticky rice) cake, watch artisans make To He (tiny clay) figurines, and enjoy a water puppet show. Many distinctive features of Vietnamese Tet were represented in this program.

Vietnamese bamboo dance is said to be the easiest game of all to play. Originally from Vietnam’s northwestern mountains, bamboo dance is performed during special events like Tet. People hold two sticks of bamboo and clap them together in a 4/4 rhythm while other people dance in and out of the sticks. The familiar melody of the game is traditional music of the Thai ethnic people. Today’s participants include children from primary and secondary schools in Hanoi. A group of secondary students seemed to really enjoy the game. They never missed a beat.  

"I’ve tried this bamboo dance. It’s really fun and it helps me and my friends feel closer to each other. This game is easy and I learnt it very quickly", said 11-year-old Le Truc Quynh, a student at Chu Van An primary school. 

Another group of pupils are playing tug of war, a Vietnamese folk game honored by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.They were split into two teams, the boys against the girls. The girls won.

Mud banger was a game very familiar to children in the old days. 

23-year-old Le Thanh Son from the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology shared that it is really hard to make a mud banger. 

"I observed the technique for 2 hours but when I tried it, I found it was harder than it looked. You have to shape the mud and make sure it is even. This requires a strong hand and meticulousness. It has to be done carefully. I just made one and the result was not so good. When I threw it on the ground, it didn’t make a sound", he noted.

Other children are learning how to make a Chung (square sticky rice) cake.

The Kitchen God worshiping ritual, another tradition of Vietnamese Tet, was also showcased at the event.

Some children were really fascinated by the altar used in Kitchen God worshipping. Pham Hai Yen Ngoc, an 11 year old attending Chu Van An primary school noted that these fish on the water pot are for the Deities to ride on their way to heaven. They will bless our family and carry our wishes for a happy new year.  

Even the older students seemed fascinated by these activities. 20 year old Hoang Huong Quynh said Tet at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is totally different from Tet in daily life today, when people seem to have forgetten about traditional folk games, calligraphy, and Dong Ho folk paintings. The museum has restored these traditions and shared them with today’s audience. 

"I feel like I’ve revisited some childhood memories. When Tet approached, my parents always bought me To He and I had a chance to watch the making of Chung cakes, though I did not make any. I can also see now how the Kitchen God worshipping ritual is done. I know that the meaning of this ritual is to let go of the past and welcome the new luck and happiness of the New Year, she added.

Diana Taylor, a visitor from the US, said she has been over by the painting and saw the painting being done, which was really cool. 

"We just came over here to make Chung cake. I’ve been living in Hanoi for 4 months and have not yet seen a water puppet show, I have to go see it", she excited.

In a small pool at another venue of the event, a water puppet show is being performed. A traditional Vietnamese orchestra which provides a musical accompaniment sits on the left hand side of the pool. 

The instrumentation includes vocals, drums, wooden bells, cymbals, horns, gongs, and several other traditional instruments. The puppets enter from either side of the stage, or emerge from the murky depths of the water. They recreat some of the most classical water puppet plays. 

In the audience is 22-year-old Doan Quoc Cuong. He shared that this is the first time he has watched a water puppet show. 

"I wonder how the puppets are made to move. Puppeteers who hide themselves behind that bamboo curtain must lay their body under the water and it’s really cold. I’m impressed by this type of Vietnamese traditional water puppet performance. In my mind, water puppetry is very simple. Now that I’ve had a chance to see the show, I can see that it takes a lot of skill to control the puppets so that they coordinate with the music", said Cuong.

At another venue, some people are trying the stilt walking game. With the help of a museum’s volunteer, even children can master this game.

"Children got a chance to participate in the museum’s activities and also received gifts. I’m happy to be a volunteer and get to play with the kids. To me, the program is a great chance to learn about Vietnamese traditions. When I was small, I didn’t have many chances to participate in traditional folk games like these", said Le Tuan, a volunteer who was really happy about teaching the kids to play traditional games. 

Traditional calligraphy and Dong Ho folk paintings are also on display at the museum. Young Vietnamese are getting a chance to participate in a number of other folk games which do not regularly appear in modern life: Còn throwing, grapefruit throwing, and bamboo swinging. Through this program, they learn more about Vietnamese Tet traditions.