A typical set of paper figurines include a bird, a fish, tortoise, child and mandarin. This toy set carries with it expectations from parents and grandparents for their children to be kind and studious. Artisans use a separate mould for each figurine and carefully add layers of glued paper thereon. Only after the glue has become dry can details and patterns be added for adornment. Until now, only the family of Mr. Hoàng Bá Nhất (Đông Khê Village, Song Hồ Commune, Thuận Thành District, Bắc Ninh Province) is known to be making paper figurines.
Cardboard or papier-mâché masks (mặt nạ giấy bồi) are children’s favourite Mid-Autumn toys. By applying paper to the mould by layers after layers, drying and painting, artisans createfunny masks.These masks are shaped in animals well-known to children like rabbits, buffaloes, pigs, or literary characters like Monkey King, Pig in Journey to the West. To date, thesetoys are still made by some artisans in the Old Quarter of Hà Nội, Đông Khê Village (Bắc Ninh Province), Hảo Village (Hưng Yên Province).
These toys are made of cellophane and bamboo frames. When the candles insides are lit, they produce a shimmering and fanciful light. Star lanterns create a brilliant sky full of stars; carousel lanterns spin like teetotums;dragon-becoming carp lanterns express the desire of success; rabbit, cock, ship lights make the Mid-Autumn night so bright and cozy. In the past, people made lanterns for their children or bought them in the Old Quarter of Hà Nội. Now, only the villages of Hạ Thái (Hà Nội) and Báo Đáp (Nam Định) still produce cellophane toys.
Appearing in the early 20th century, metal toys were an expensive type of toys in Hà Nội. Using metal cans and containers, tinmen of Khương Hạ Village could make hundreds of models of toys. But to date, only some models remain, including whistles,drumming rabbits, and butterflies. Among them, the vessel that can navigate in wateristhe most appealing to children. Nowadays, the sole practitioner of this craft is artisan Nguyễn Văn Mạnh Hùng.