The silk lanterns that color Hoi An's nights. The first person to create a \"foldable\" version that fits in a suitcase was the master craftsman Huynh Van Ba, who is over 90 years old. Sparked by a single remark from an Australian tourist, the technique he developed by applying the mechanisms of umbrellas and fans is still being passed down to his son and apprentices today.<\/p>\n
Huynh Van Ba is officially recognized as the first person in Hoi An to make foldable lanterns. Born in Tam Binh, Quang Nam Province, he has spent most of his life in Hoi An. He originally worked as a weaver at a large bamboo-craft cooperative, making blinds, vases, and baskets. He began making lanterns in the 1990s, when tourists were starting to increase in Hoi An, and at first it was said to be a side job.<\/p>\n
The foldable lantern was born from an encounter with an Australian tourist who wanted to buy a lantern but was troubled because it wouldn't fit in a suitcase. Ba spent about half a year on trial and error, applying the mechanisms of umbrellas and paper fans. By drilling holes at both ends of the bamboo strips and fastening them to a pivot, he completed a prototype that could fold. This structure, easy to carry home even when bought on a trip, transformed the standard Hoi An souvenir.<\/p>\n
Lantern-making is divided into two processes, building the frame and applying the fabric, and involves 10 main steps in all. Bamboo and silk are used, with the silk sourced from Ha Dong village. Each painstaking step is infused with the intuition of a craftsman honed over many years.<\/p>\n