Amongst the tourist trinkets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a small shop doing a brisk trade in selling off old propaganda posters from the Vietnam War, providing both history and art as souvenirs for backpackers.
Hanoi has hundreds of shops selling silks, lacquerware, tailor made clothes and all sorts of other handicrafts, but my favourite is this shop on Hang Bac in the city’s Old Quarter that sells hundreds of original propaganda posters and reprints from the American War, as it’s known in Vietnam. Step into the shop and you step into a time capsule of exhortations to patriotism and defeating the enemy, all under the watching eye of Uncle Ho.
The Propaganda Poster Shop, Hanoi, Vietnam
[You can click for bigger versions of any of these photos].
There’s a initial kitsch value to browsing amongst the posters which are stacked 50 deep separated by cover sheets, but flicking through a deeper, more sobering picture emerges of the Vietnamese struggle for survival and independence. The old lady who runs the shop might well have lived through both the French and American wars in Vietnam. I wonder what she thinks of all these backpackers crowding into her shop to buy these posters that once would have been taken deadly seriously.
The Propaganda Poster Shop interior
Portraits of Ho Chi Minh
More framed pics
There are a variety of artistic styles at work, from the blocky Soviet graphical influence to almost impressionistic efforts. Many of these images are genuinely striking irrespective of their historical impact and as they only cost a few dollars each, you can buy several. Unsurprisingly, images of Ho Chi Minh, credited as the Father of the Nation who led Vietnam through the war but did not leave to see its independence, crop up frequently. My favourite picture of Uncle Ho, as he’s affectionately and respectfully known to the Vietnamese, is this portrait of him made entirely with Vietnamese stamps.
Ho Chi Minh Portrait in stamps
We decorated our apartment with some of our favourite Vietnam propaganda posters – a simple frame makes them quite striking. Apologies for my crap flash-in-the-way photo:
Women Soldiers
Train from Hanoi to Saigon in reunited Vietnam
My favourite – Nixon’s face superimposed on a falling bomb
There are literally hundreds of posters in the Old Propaganda Poster Shop – it would make for a great book and also a great historical document to find some of the artists who are still living to talk about how they came to create these images and the influences on their work. Hmm, now there’s an idea…
Stay In Touch With Travelhappy!
If you enjoyed this post, sign up by Email or RSS to be notified of future updates. You can also follow me on Twitter - I'm @travelhappy
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I went to that shop…. but I was hoping if they have a direct website into their shop…. can anyone give me the url? it would be really helpful… thank you
Hi Kiara – as far as I know they don’t have their own website. Give it another couple of years and they probably will – there are several propaganda poster shops in Hanoi now – the Vietnamese always copy a good idea
Illuminating! When I visit Hanoi this summer, I will certainly try to find the place and buy a few posters.
As Kiara noted, it would be wonderful to buy the posters online tonight.
We were in this shop last year. They make great groovy presents for folks back home and are easily transportable. Only problem is that we only bought one for ourselves, have it framed on our wall. Would have like to have another one now. Should have bought it at the time as they are so cheap. This store had the best selection and prices of any store we came across in vietnam
I visited this shop but i also dropped in to the Kuy Son propaganda shop-30 Ta Hien. I found it’s great for canvas posters. Sale assistant said that they had moved to this location from 13-Hang Bac (Dogma shop)
Thanks for the tip Timothy. There seem to be quite a few propanganda poster shops in Hanoi – I counted at least 3 when I was there in Feb 2009.
Great post! I’m a Vietnamese American and even I don’t know that there’s such a place that sell propaganda poster in Hanoi. I been looking everywhere for old Vietnamese propaganda posters, they definitely represent a piece of history. Just wondering: how are the prices of these poster? I would assume they are ridiculously overpriced since the shop seems to be catering to foreign tourists, as I know that most people in Vietnam would have no interest in it. Thanks!