(VNF) - The Hanoi 1010 Cultural Exchange Space and MyHanoi will organise a series of cultural workshops entitled “From Traditional to Modern Tò He” at July 28^th, which not only provide knowledge but also give a chance for attendants to create Tò he - a traditional Vietnamese toy - under the guidance of artisans.

For many centuries, Tò he (toy figurines) has occupied has special place for the children of Vietnam as a toy that almost everyone grew up with. It is believed that the words Tò he originated from the times when the Chinese invaded and established rule in Vietnam.

Tò He is made of glutinous rice powder in the form of edible figurines such as animals, flowers or characters in folk stories. The craft was fashioned to entertain children during festivals, a form of comic book of yesteryears, where the craftsman travelled with his trade from place to place to skillfully bring to life colorful characters of ancient folklore.

Visitors to the event will have a chance get to know the origin of the traditional Vietnamese children’s toy Tò He (toy figurine) its transformation from past to present.

The workshop will provide an intimate, interactive space for guests from different countries and students in Hanoi to get to know about the art of tò he making. They will also gain actual experiences of creating different tò he characters by themselves.

The event will start at 9.30 am at the Hanoi 1010 Cultural Exchange Space (32 Vong Thi street, Buoi Ward, Tay Ho Dist., Hanoi).

A workshop introducting the origin of Tò He, its transformation from past to present from and process of making Tò He from artisans will be held from 10:10 am to 11:30 am.

The event also includes a talk with Tò He artisans about preservation and development of the Tò He craft – a Vietnamese cultural identity at 2 pm.

From 3 pm to 5 pm, participants can get hands-on experience of making Tò He and other folk toys under the guidance of artisans and MyHanoi members. A materials fee will be charged to cover the costs of supplies for the Tò He making experiment./.

Chau Pham