On Friday 25 September 2026, the full moon of the eighth lunar month, our two campuses in Bình Thạnh and Thảo Điền celebrated Tết Trung Thu, the Mid-Autumn Festival. In Vietnam, it is the children’s festival: lanterns, mooncakes, drums and the lion dance.
Here are twenty photos of the day, from nursery to Grade 5. Tap a photo to see it larger.
Áo dài, drums and masks
The children arrived in áo dài, and so did the staff. Then the drums started up, and the painted masks went from hand to hand.
Lion-dance heads
In Vietnam, there is no Trung Thu without múa lân, the lion dance. The children first tried on heads their own size, before the big lion made its entrance. The youngest, from the nursery, went home with their gift bag.
The lion in the playground, and mooncakes
The big lion danced across the playground among the children, to the beat of the drum. Then everyone got a piece of mooncake, the bánh trung thu.
The lantern contest
The moment everyone was waiting for: the lantern contest. Handmade lanterns, one of them built from UNO cards, and winners from kindergarten to Grade 5, certificate in hand. The day ended on stage, with the staff and the families.
Come and see the school
Looking for a school for your child in Ho Chi Minh City? The French curriculum, and a country your child gets to know from the inside: come and see it on an ordinary day. Request a guided tour, in person or by video call: we reply within 48 hours.
And to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival as a family, outside school: Tết Trung Thu in Saigon: 5 things to do with your children.