“Preserving the Old Quarter Moon 2026”: A Traditional Mid-Autumn Experience in the Heart of Hanoi

The “Preserving the Old Quarter Moon 2026” program offers a journey to discover the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival through exhibitions, toy-making workshops, and a lantern procession around Hoan Kiem Lake.

🌙 What makes the “Preserving the Old Quarter Moon 2026” festival in Hanoi so appealing?
“Preserving the Old Quarter Moon 2026” brings the atmosphere of the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival closer to the community. The program takes place across various cultural venues in the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake.

A highlight of the program is its approach to heritage. Visitors do not merely observe or learn; they can actively participate in activities rooted in traditional Mid-Autumn culture.

The journey invites visitors to explore diverse stories surrounding the Mid-Autumn season—from the world of familiar folk toys to the realm of traditional craftsmanship and cultural values.

Key activities include:

• Discovering traditional Mid-Autumn toys.

• Visiting the “Preserving the Moon” exhibition.

• Hands-on folk toy making.

• Learning the art of making mooncakes.

• Exploring Vietnamese tea culture.

• Learning about incense and traditional folk knowledge.

• Discovering the art of crafting lion dance heads.

• Joining the lantern procession around Hoan Kiem Lake.

The program is community-oriented, with a special focus on children and young people. These activities provide opportunities for the youth to directly explore and experience traditional cultural values. 🏮Discover the 6 cultural spaces of the “Preserving the Old Quarter Moon” event
A highlight of this year’s Hanoi Old Quarter Mid-Autumn Festival is a journey of discovery across six distinct cultural spaces. These venues are located within the Old Quarter and the Hoan Kiem Lake area.

Each space features a unique theme, allowing visitors to explore various cultural aspects associated with the Mid-Autumn season. The journey also bridges traditional values ​​with the modern lives of local residents.

📍50 Dao Duy Tu
The Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Center serves as the venue for the program’s opening ceremony.

This space showcases the story of the “Mid-Autumn Festival” (the full moon of the eighth lunar month) and its roots in wet-rice agricultural culture. The opening ceremony takes place at 3:00 PM on September 11, 2026.

It also marks the starting point for visitors embarking on a journey to explore traditional Mid-Autumn culture.

🎨22 Hang Buom
The Cultural and Art Center at 22 Hang Buom is a highlight of the program, hosting the “Preserving the Moon” exhibition. The space displays a wide array of traditional Mid-Autumn toys.

The Mid-Autumn space at the 22 Hang Buom Cultural and Art Center.

Visitors can encounter star-shaped lanterns, as well as lanterns shaped like carp, crabs, shrimp, and praying mantises. The exhibition also features revolving lanterns (*đèn kéo quân*), sun-and-moon lanterns, lion dance heads, paper “Doctor” figures (*tiến sĩ giấy*), and paper horses.

These items have been researched, restored, and creatively reimagined by young people. Through this process, familiar toys from Mid-Autumn festivals of the past are presented from a perspective that resonates more closely with today’s generation.

🏠87 Ma May
The Heritage House at 87 Ma May features the theme “Welcoming the Moon.” The space evokes the atmosphere of Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in Hanoi households. Visitors can learn about the craft of making mooncakes and other traditional handicrafts.

The house features unique architecture.

🍵40 Lan Ong Street
The space at 40 Lan Ong introduces visitors to folk traditions and knowledge associated with the Mid-Autumn season.

Featured items include herbal teas and agarwood tea, offering a different perspective on traditional Mid-Autumn culture.

This space helps broaden the narrative of the culturally rich Mid-Autumn Festival. The season is about more than just mooncakes, lanterns, and toys; it encompasses customs and knowledge passed down through generations.

🦁2 Le Thai To Street
The Ho Guom Cultural Information Center showcases the art of crafting traditional lion dance heads.

The space also displays works by school and university students, demonstrating how young people engage with and create art based on traditional cultural elements.

Admire artworks recreated from traditional toy designs.

This is also the starting point for the procession during the “Mid-Autumn Festival Night” celebration. Visitors can combine a visit to this space with the lantern procession around Hoan Kiem Lake.

🌿28 Hang Buom Street
The space at 28 Hang Buom is themed “The Scent of Agarwood and the Moon of Yesteryear.”

It evokes the beauty of agarwood incense within the atmosphere of a Mid-Autumn family reunion. It serves as a stop on the journey to discover the traditional cultural values ​​of the Old Quarter.

🎨Highlights of “Preserving the Old Quarter Moon 2026”
🏮Admire traditional Mid-Autumn toys
The “Preserving the Moon” exhibition is a destination for those who cherish the beauty of traditional Mid-Autumn culture.