Tò he Workshop: Summer Experience with Artisan Đặng Văn Hậu

On the morning of July 16, 2025, the Tò He Workshop at Gạo Cafe brought a vibrant folk art space, where children and parents got to personally experience making tò he, a traditional cultural beauty of Vietnam.

Tò he Workshop with Artisan Đặng Văn Hậu. Photo: Organizers

Artisan Đặng Văn Hậu comes from Xuân La village, the cradle of tò he art, and is one of the few young individuals diligently preserving and developing the art of tò he modeling. With a profound love for the craft, the artisan not only creates many new tò he designs that suit modern children’s tastes but also actively brings folk art closer to the community through vocational classes, workshops, and preservation projects. He is considered the one who breathes soul into the dough due to his skillful ability to transform raw dough blocks into artworks carrying the essence of Vietnamese culture.

The Tò he Workshop provided a highly creative playground for participants. At the Workshop, artisan Đặng Văn Hậu directly guided participants on how to cook the dough, shape the colorful animal figures, and learn the tò he making process using folk ingredients. Every participant personally completed their own product and took it home as a souvenir. The workshop opened up a vivid world of folk games, helping participants learn more about an ancient cultural feature of Hanoi.

Artisan Đặng Văn Hậu interacting with participants. Photo: Organizers