Shopping for handicrafts in Hanoi Vietnam
Traditional rice basket masks
It’s easy to find mementoes of Hanoi to take back home both for yourself and as gifts for friends. And with prices ranging from less than a dollar to several thousand, everyone can find something to suit their pocket. You don’t have to hunt hard to find them either, as the biggest concentration of souvenir shops is in the Old Quarter, the most popular part of town for eating, sleeping and sightseeing.
One of the most popular items is the conical hat, worn by Vietnamese to shield them from the fierce sun outside but more likely to end up as a lampshade in a Western home. These are often beautifully made, and often cost less than a dollar, but you’ll need to pack it carefully (or wear it) to avoid it getting crushed in your luggage on the trip home.
Another unique souvenir is a water puppet. These quaint carvings of farmers, warriors and dancing maidens come complete with moveable limbs and in a variety of sizes. They make colourful ornaments for a living room and for most bring back happy memories of watching the puppets perform on a watery stage.
Several musical instruments are unique, such as the dan bau, a single-stringed instrument mounted on to a sounding box that produces a sound uncannily like the human voice. Such souvenirs are expensive and delicate, however, so you need to think carefully before buying one. At the other extreme, there are lots of small, ingenious instruments like local versions of a jew’s harp and castanets, that cost just a few cents.
Textiles and fabrics, particularly silk, are of high quality and with prices much cheaper than in the West, it’s tempting to buy some cloth for a suit or dress to be tailor-made, either here in Hanoi or back home. Ready-made clothes are also a good buy, particularly T-shirts which come with typical Vietnamese motifs such as the skyline of Ha Long Bay or the ubiquitous image of Ho Chi Minh.
The ao dai is instantly recognizable as the traditional Vietnamese dress that is worn by female staff in reputable organisations throughout the city. You can get one tailor-made for around $20-40, and the choice of colours and patterns is staggering. However, while this tight-fitting outfit flatters the slender Vietnamese, it doesn’t always do the same for the fuller Western figure.
Since Vietnam is famous in Western eyes for the war with the USA, many visitors hope to pick up a memento of that dramatic era, be it a dog tag, a Zippo lighter or a bullet casing. You may spot such items on sale in souvenir shops in the city, but you can also be sure that these are imitations, created to supply the demand for war memorabilia. Other unusual souvenirs are propaganda posters and buttons and badges of the Communist Party.
