Unicorns bring festival magic

Twenty days ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, an event that children are eagerly awaiting in Vietnam, craft shops and facilities in central Hue City are busy manufacturing unicorn heads, costumes and drums. As a tradition, children celebrate the festival by gathering in groups and visiting neighbours to perform the unicorn dance. Nearly all children aged three to 15 years join in the dance, and this creates a huge demand for unicorn items.

The right mould: An artist paints a unicorn head white after shaping it on concrete moulds.   Treasure hunt: Parents in Hue look for possible gifts for their children, including a complete set consisting of unicorn heads, costumes and a drum costing between VND150,000 to 750,000 (US$7-35).

Horsing around: Children try on finished unicorn heads.

Getting ahead: Unicorns dry under the sun in preparation for the festival.