As the festival approaches, Thọ, a culinary arts student at Quy Nhơn College of Technology, works tirelessly to meet demand, completing three to four orders per day for schools, businesses, organizations, and families. From the first to the sixth day of the eighth lunar month, his nights stretch past midnight as he crafts each Mid-Autumn tray with precision and creativity. “Some days, I work until two or three in the morning. When customers are satisfied, all the fatigue feels worthwhile,” he said.
Each fruit tray, typically arranged just before display, embodies patience and artistry. While most are asleep, artisans like Thọ carefully carve animals and floral patterns, transforming fruits into symbols of joy and prosperity. The trays, central to Vietnamese Mid-Autumn traditions, represent reunion, filial piety, and abundance, featuring mooncakes for fullness, pomelos for purity, and rabbits for peace.
Thọ’s designs bring these symbols to life, dogs from pomelos, carps from dragon fruit, mice from oranges, and hedgehogs from grapes and pears. Some of his most intricate works include a carved portrait of President Hồ Chí Minh on watermelon, roses from melon rinds, and lotus flowers from papaya. “The hardest part is carving President Hồ Chí Minh’s likeness. Every knife stroke must be steady and heartfelt,” Thọ shared.
Through his meticulous craftsmanship, Thọ and other young artisans are not only earning income during the festive season, often with custom trays priced at hundreds of thousands of VND (US$10–20), but also preserving Vietnam’s cultural heritage in a rapidly modernizing world.
As the full moon rises, their creations illuminate more than just celebration, they honor the enduring beauty of tradition, artistry, and the spirit of reunion.