Travel & Shipping

How to Fold, Pack and Ship a Hoi An Lantern Home

Updated June 2026 · By the LongDenViet workshop, Ho Chi Minh City

The traditional Hoi An lantern is collapsible by design. The bamboo ribs are hinged at the top and bottom rings. Press the top ring gently inward — you will feel it give — and the whole lantern compresses down to the size of a dinner plate. The silk gathers cleanly around the frame. Nothing bends that is not meant to bend.

To open it again, stand it upright, hold the bottom ring and let the top ring rise. The ribs spring out and lock into shape. The whole operation takes under a minute. You do not need tools, pins or any special technique. If it was made with dry, seasoned bamboo — the kind that stays rigid and straight — it will do this hundreds of times without losing its shape.

Folded weight by size — what you are actually carrying

Weight is almost never the issue with these lanterns. Even a 60 cm piece comes in well under 600 grams folded. The table below shows what to expect across the common sizes.

The rim — the outer circumference of the top and bottom rings — is the only part that can be damaged in transit. It is rigid bamboo and does not like being squeezed from the side. The silk and the ribs are flexible and forgiving. Keep that in mind and packing is straightforward.

1. Fold the lantern flat using the top-ring method above. It should sit smooth and even, with no rib poking out.
2. Slip it into a fabric bag or a pillowcase — the original bag from the shop works perfectly. This protects the silk from snagging on clothing zips or rough surfaces.
3. Place it flat against a rigid side of your bag. The back of a suitcase, laid against a stiff panel, is ideal. A laptop sleeve in a backpack also works well for the smaller sizes.
4. Pack soft items — clothes, a rolled-up jumper — on top. Avoid placing it between two hard objects like a shoe and a toiletries bag. The rim will be fine with gentle pressure from soft fabric, but not from a corner.
5. If you are packing more than one, stack them flat. Two 40 cm lanterns folded together are still only a few centimetres thick and weigh under 800 g combined.

Carry-on works fine for any lantern up to about 40–45 cm, assuming it fits within your airline size limit. Larger pieces or sets of several go more comfortably in a checked bag. Weight is rarely an issue — six 30 cm lanterns weigh under 1.7 kg together.

Plenty of customers — interior designers, restaurant owners, wedding planners, people who simply cannot stop once they have seen the full range — want more pieces than fit in any suitcase. Shipping directly from our workshop in Ho Chi Minh City is the practical answer.

How international shipping works

We dispatch via DHL and FedEx. Because every lantern folds flat, we can pack a surprisingly large order into a compact parcel — a box of twenty 30 cm lanterns takes up roughly the same space as three thick art books stacked together, and the whole box still weighs only about 5.5 kg.

That combination — flat pack, low weight — keeps freight costs reasonable even for international delivery. Courier cost is paid separately by the buyer at the prevailing DHL or FedEx rate to your destination. We will quote the shipping cost alongside the product price so you see the full amount before confirming. Payment is by bank transfer (TT) or PayPal. Browse our full range to decide on sizes and colours, then message us on WhatsApp with your order and delivery address for a complete quote.

What ships well versus what to carry

• Ship: orders of five or more, larger sizes (45 cm and above), fragile hand-painted or embroidered pieces you would rather not risk in checked luggage.
• Carry: one or two small to medium pieces (10–40 cm) that fold flat and fit easily against the back of a suitcase or in a backpack.
• Either: sets of 30–35 cm lanterns in matching colours — light enough to carry but perfectly safe to ship if the quantity exceeds what fits comfortably.

Lead time from order confirmation to dispatch is typically three to five working days. Express courier to most destinations in Europe, North America or Australia usually arrives within about a week on top of that.

A real silk lantern with aged bamboo ribs will hold its shape and colour for years — but silk does have two clear enemies: water and prolonged strong sun. Neither is difficult to avoid.

• Dust dry only. Use a feather duster or a handheld vacuum on its lowest setting held a few centimetres from the surface. Never wipe with a damp cloth. Water softens and warps the bamboo rings and leaves tide marks on the silk that do not come out.
• No water washing. This applies even to light dirt. If a stain does not brush off dry, leave it. A small mark on a traditional lantern is far less conspicuous than a water ring across the entire face.
• Keep it out of direct sun for long periods. A lantern hung near a south-facing window will fade within months. Indirect light and indoor positions are fine indefinitely.
• Rain and humidity. Our outdoor range uses an iron powder-coated frame and tighter-weave fabric designed for humid conditions. Standard silk lanterns are for indoor use. If you want one for a terrace, ask us for the outdoor version when ordering.
• Storing long-term. Fold it flat, slip it back into its bag, and add a small desiccant sachet (the kind that comes with shoes or electronics). Store upright or flat — not on its side where the rim could take a long-term bend.

That is genuinely all there is to it. Treated bamboo does not attract insects, real silk does not rot in normal indoor conditions, and the folding mechanism does not wear out with gentle use. The lanterns in our workshop that have been opened and closed most often are also the ones that have been handled most carefully.

We are LongDenViet, a lantern workshop based in Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City. We have been making traditional bamboo-and-silk lanterns since 2016 — eight shapes, fourteen silk colours, and sizes from 10 cm to over a metre. The ribs are aged bamboo (three to five years, insect-treated). The fabric is real silk, brocade, or glossy fabric depending on the style. For outdoor use we make an iron powder-coated frame version built to handle weather.

Every order ships folded flat via DHL or FedEx. For retail customers travelling or sending a set as a gift, payment is by PayPal. For wholesale and trade orders, bank transfer (TT). Browse our lanterns on the English page to see the full range, or message us directly on WhatsApp with the size, colour and quantity you need and we will come back with a price and shipping estimate within one business day.

Frequently asked questions

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