A simple Mid-Autumn Festival for the children of the fishing village.

DP• September 12, 2019 21:38

(Baonghean.vn) - No mooncakes or lion dances like city children, no drumming parades like country children, the Mid-Autumn Festival for children in fishing villages is simply the joy of a meal with meat...

Located in isolation outside the Lam River dike, the livelihoods of the people in Hoa Lam, Hung Hoa commune, Vinh City, mainly depend on the river. For the children here, the Mid-Autumn Festival seems no different from any other day.

While wading in the riverside water, Dau Bao Phuc (born in 2004) shared: "In previous Mid-Autumn Festivals, I used to make star-shaped lanterns to play with, but this year I'm older, so I've given the toys to my younger brother. This is my grandfather's boat; he's been repairing his fishing boat these past few days, so whenever I have free time, I come and help him." Phuc explained that due to difficult family circumstances, his parents work as factory workers in Hanoi, and he and his brother have lived with their grandparents since they were young. Perhaps because of their living environment, Phuc, like many other children living in Hoa Lam, seems more mature than his age.

Meanwhile, Phuc's younger brother sat comfortably on the edge of the boat, his face beaming with excitement at having a star-shaped lantern to play with.

In contrast to the lively atmosphere in Hoa Lam, the scene at Ha Long fishing village, Thanh Ha commune (Thanh Chuong district), during the Mid-Autumn Festival was quite bustling. A Mid-Autumn Festival toy costs from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dong, so not every family can afford to buy one for their children. Therefore, many children in Ha Long fishing village often share toys.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, head of the Women's Association in Ha Long hamlet, said that this is the first year the hamlet has organized a meal for the children to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. In previous years, every hamlet in Thanh Ha commune organized celebrations except for Ha Long hamlet, because the lives of the fishing village residents are still difficult and they lack the funds. Feeling sorry for the disadvantaged children, this year the hamlet decided to cook a dinner and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival for the children.

The meal was complete with meat, ham, vegetables, bamboo shoots, etc., all cooked and beautifully presented by the mothers themselves.

The children of Ha Long fishing village excitedly gather around the table to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

After dinner, the children will gather at the Community Center for the neighborhood to present them with scholarships and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.