Thanh Tien paper flower village is the only place in Hue where it preserves the traditional paper flower of worshipping. This craft lasted over 400 years and is still maintained to decorate for all Hue people’s altar. Lunar December is the busiest time for Thanh Tien villagers to make and deliver the paper flower to market. Let’s follow us on a cycling tour in Hue to learn this special craft and experience Tết holiday!
Why Thanh Tien paper flower?
Besides the scenic beauty, paper flower handicraft becomes a pride of Thanh Tien village. The paper flower here is not only the decoration purpose but also for the local religious rituals. Incense, flowers, lamps, and fruits are the most important offering in local worship practice. However, the harsh weather in Hue makes it difficult for fresh flowers to grow throughout the year. Therefore, paper flowers have come as an alternative solution which is cheap and durable for praying activities of local people. The legend has it that the flowers were first crafted in Thanh Tiên village, to offer to King Gia Long when he passed by the village. The three levels and five colors of five types of flowers represent the Three Moral Bonds and Five Constant Virtues (Tam Cương & Ngũ Thường) in Confucianism. The red or yellow sunflower in the middle stands for the King.
Join a cycling tour in Hue to learn Thanh Tien paper flower handicraft
It is so easy and fun to take a cycling tour from Hue to Thanh Tien village. The village has a tradition of making spiritual paper flowers. However, there are only a few households maintaining the craft due to less demand. Artisans try to preserve it as a pride of the village and serve tourists visiting. The process of making flowers is a year-long endeavor that includes harvesting and drying bamboo then split, dyed, and polished. Thanh Tien paper flowers are diverse in types such as orchid, apricot, chrysanthemum, rose, gerberas, and more. Making a paper process is a number of steps. Once the artisans decide the color, they stack several sheets of paper then chisels out the shape of petals. Next, the petals are formed into flower blossoms and glued to bamboo branches. Each branch will have nine or ten flowers because it is an auspicious number in local belief.
Lunar New Year – Tết is coming with Thanh Tiên paper flower
Tết is coming. Streets and garden, houses are colored with diverse flowers in blossom. But in Huế, you will see a vendor or man with a bunch of colorful paper flowers in the local market. The paper flowers are worshiped on the altar of Mother Goddess – a protector for housewife and Kitchen God. Traditionally, local people have a small ceremony of saying goodbye to the Kitchen God on the 23rd of December. They wish him to send a nice report to God and bless their family for the year ahead. Then, people set up again another Kitchen God and new paper flowers for a hopeful year. A cycling tour in Hue during Tết festival is a unique trip that you will have in Vietnam.
Let’s come to Hue and join our newest immersion to Thanh Tien village to explore the spiritual trails of Hue people. A cycling tour in Hue to a traditional handicraft village with Slow Travel is a good choice for you. Visit us at www.slowtravelhue.com to get the best arrangement. The only time and the only place to experience Vietnam’s traditional Tết is here in Thanh Tiên village.
