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An evening stroll along the riverside in Hoi An, Vietnam, produces a number of fascinating images, to include this one of a vendor selling paper lanterns.
For 20,000 Vietnamese Dong, (about $1 USD), we launched yellow and red lanterns out into the open water, all the while reflecting upon how lucky we are to be here.
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
Hi! My name is Tricia Mitchell. I delight in telling stories about my slow travels through more than 65 countries. Some of my highlights have included sharing meals with locals in Armenia, Cambodia, and Tunisia; sipping sparkling wine with French cousins in Alsace; milking goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village; and training with a Japanese mine-clearance team in Laos. My husband, Shawn, and I are based in France’s Loire Valley.
Is it decorative or a ceremonial reason? I seem to recall that people put lanterns in the water to remember loved ones.
Victor, the lanterns offered to visitors in Hoi An are mostly for decorative (and commercial) reasons. Our vendor spoke enough English for the transaction, but wasn’t able to share the story behind the lanterns. Like you, I’ve also heard that lanterns are released to guide spirits to a final and happy resting place – one of many beautiful spiritual practices we’ve witnessed here in Asia!
Beautiful colours, reflections and ‘life’ shown here, Tricia. Your photos are showing beauty all the time!
This was a spot that I’ve so enjoyed visiting every night while here in Hoi An; we bought paper lanterns from this woman two nights in a row. With the warm glow of candle-lit lanterns on the water, and vibrant lanterns on buildings, it is such a romantic city!
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