Thanh Tien Paper Flowers - A Spiritual Beauty of Hue

Paper-flower making appeared in Thanh Tien village more than 400 years ago. Through the centuries, Thanh Tien paper flower village has continued to preserve a spiritual beauty on the ancestral altars of every family in the old imperial land.

Thanh Tien flower village, in Phu Mau commune, Phu Vang district, Thua Thien Hue province, rises from the skilful, talented hands of its gentle farmers. The villagers still pass down a folk verse: 'Green and red and yellow / come the twelfth month, the whole village makes flowers.' Anyone can become an artisan, but each year they are artisans only in the twelfth lunar month. The flowers they make, however, stay fresh all year, through all four seasons.

According to the records, Thanh Tien paper flower village came into being nearly 400 years ago, in the time of the Nguyen lords. After King Gia Long unified the realm, on the occasion of the Thuong tuan rite, the king issued an edict asking each region to bring a precious flower to the capital. At court there was a mandarin from Thanh Tien village serving in the Ministry of Rites in the post of Ta Huu Dong Nghi, who presented the king with a five-colour flower full of the meaning of the Three Bonds and the Five Constants: 'Three flowers in the centre symbolise Loyalty, Filial Piety and Righteousness. Among them there is always one yellow or red flower made the largest, symbolising the enlightened sovereign, while the five flowers on either side symbolise Benevolence, Propriety, Righteousness, Wisdom and Trustworthiness.'

On hearing the meaning, the king issued an edict encouraging Thanh Tien village to make paper flowers for display, to sell them up to the capital and to spread the craft to all. Paper flowers became tied to the worship customs of the Hue people - first to offer to the deities and ancestors, then to adorn the home. The brilliantly coloured paper flowers of the countryside were no longer the 'treasured fragrance' of Thanh Tien village alone, but spread across the towns and villages of Hue each time spring returned.

To make a spray, the craftsperson must prepare the stages months before Hue enters its rainy season. They choose the best bamboo in the village, split it fine, whittle it thin and dry it to make the flower stems.

The secret of paper-flower making lies in the dyeing stage, so that the paper keeps its colour long and fast. The flower-makers use no industrial chemicals but plant sap and leaves to prepare dyes in the handed-down way. Besides flowers such as orchid, lily, rose, chrysanthemum, wild sunflower and tuong vi rose - which served only worship and ritual and were made only at Tet - Thanh Tien village also makes paper lotuses.

Each year, for the Nam Giao sacrificial rite, the court would order the people of Thanh Tien to make thousands of white and pink lotuses to adorn the altar during the grand ceremonies. But then, for reasons unknown, the village's paper-lotus technique was lost for 50 years. Happily, several sons of the village - the artisan Nguyen Hoa and the painter Than Van Huy - strove to study and restore the secret of making paper lotuses. Through the success of the Festivals, these lotuses went beyond the peaceful village to new horizons, becoming a famous export of the old capital.

At every worship occasion, even after buying many fresh flowers, the people of Hue never forget to buy a few sprays of Thanh Tien paper flowers to offer to the deities, ancestors and shrines. Those brilliant yet simple colours not only enhance the spiritual flavour but also add to the distinctive character of Hue culture. Today, visitors come to Hue during the traditional craft-village Festivals the city holds every two years. Among them, Thanh Tien paper flower village is an appealing destination for those who wish to learn about the cultural life of a peaceful old village.