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Ho Chi Minh City: hawkers get their own marketplaces for trade activity

Some public areas in town will be assigned for the hawkers according

to an announcement by the government authorities in Ho Chi Minh

City. The implementation of this plan shall begin at the end of April

2016th. All hawkers from District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City will then need

to go for doing their business in fixed certain roads.

The selected areas for this pilot project are located in Ben Nghe Ward. It

involves the sidewalk of the road Nguyen Van Chiem and the crossing of the

streets Hai Ba Trung and Pham Ngoc Thach. A third planned location is the road

Ton Duc Thang in Bach Dang Harbour Park at the former Saigon Industrial and

Commercial Bank. These areas have sufficiently broad sidewalks. This ensures

that traders and passersby not impede the traffic and are not endangered by it.

The trade shall be organized at this model in specified time frame according to

the requirements of the people. Initially are planned two market times daily.

The first time window for the markets of the hawkers shall be from 06:00 to

08:00 in the morning and the second from 11:00 to 13:00 at noon.

Mr. Tran The Thuan who is the

chairman of the District 1 in Ho Chi

Minh City said thereto: "This model will

help to act against the loss of a beautiful street image by the uncontrolled

appearance of hawkers. To concentrate the hawkers mainly in certain areas shall

also create new jobs and it increases the safety in the town."

The sellers should therefore also be involved into this model. They will by this

way be trained at food hygiene, general hygiene, waste management and more

communication skills. The ripping off of customers by the street vendors will be

more difficult in addition. The reason is the variety of sellers for same products

at a concentrated location. It is expected that all major products will be sold on

based list prices.

According to the People's Committee of District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City exists there

currently a special priority for hawkers from this area at the municipality.

Primarily it is valid for those hawkers in difficult economic and family situations.

Hawkers from other regions of the city are temporarily excluded from

registration for this model.

hawkers are a part of Vietnamese culture

The sights of hawkers or street vendors with their old bicycles or the yoke on the shoulders are very familiar for the

people in Vietnam. Since long time this belongs for the Hanoiese and Saigonese equally to the daily streetscape.

For example is unconsciously accepted by every Vietnamese the existence of coffee shops and breakfast restaurants on

the sidewalks doesn't matter they are executive officers or common people or even celebrities. In fact there are among

these restaurants many which are exists for decades and are operated by people in the second or even third generation.

Many of the Vietnamese who have left the country often reminds of the images of street vendors and they are returning

to Vietnam to brush up almost forgotten memories.

hawker in Ho Chi Minh City

- captured by Thy Lai

costermonger in Ho Chi Minh City

- captured by Thy Lai

ITI-HOLIDAY Germany

international Tour Operator

Klingerstrasse 41F

09117 Chemnitz

Germany

Tel.: 0049 371 2832201

Fax: 0049 371 2336835

E-Mail: info@iti-holiday.com

Website: http://www.iti-holiday.com

The yoke which is used by many of the hawkers to transport their goods has its origins at the countryside. No one can

remember when it was seen for the first time in the cities. However it is now an indispensable component in the big

cities. Any attempt to remove the hawkers from the sidewalks in the cities will be therefore, doomed to failure.

The image of the simple business model of hawkers is not only firmly anchored in the memory of the people here but

rather also leaves a lasting impression on foreign visitors of Vietnamese cities. Street vendors make a decisive

contribution to bridge the distance between visitors and the strange city as well to be closer to each other. Wearing of the

yoke is associated by many foreign visitors as inseparable from Vietnam and is therefore indispensable for the Vietnamese

tourism and its reputation throughout the world.

hawkers and the civilized city

Despite the long-standing cultural tradition of hawkers in Vietnam the dark side

of their businesses should be mentioned. Hawkers block often the walkways so

that passersby have to switch on streets and thus expose themselves to the

dangers of road traffic. Besides the beautiful images of street vendors there are

also those of sleazy and unhygienic subjects which contribute to the loss of

aesthetic streetscape. Unfortunately some of the street vendors also operating

on illegal businesses such as drug trafficking. In recent years the authorities

have in many places prohibited the business of hawkers but the situation was

not significantly changed due to lack of alternative places. The aim was to

create a civilized, clean, beautiful and modern atmosphere in the town. The way

of implementation however was unfortunately exaggerated and led rather to

unsatisfactory results. It became downright like hunting on hawkers which often

escalated into violence. Hawkers were thrown to the ground, bound at hands

and foots and arrested through government security forces as well their goods

were confiscated. This depressed numerous passersby and locals which were

eyewitnesses such dramatic actions.

The problem for the state authorities is that the hawkers increasingly represent

the impoverishment of society and thus leave a bad image of Vietnam in the

world arise. The hawkers belong to the lowest class of society and all these

people want to survive and earn their daily living expenses. This seemed to be for the city state and the authority leaders

of the city since years an insoluble problem. With the new pilot project now both problems should be solved. By providing

specified locations in firstly the hawkers should be disappear from the cityscape. Secondly for the traders should retain

the possibility of acquiring their livelihood. Planned is this measure currently only for the district 1 in Ho Chi Minh City and

the future will show whether the project will become successful or not. There are perhaps soon such marketplaces

throughout the city but this depends on the success of the project which will be decisively determined by the willingness

of the hawkers.

25.04.2016: Silvia Huynh - ITI-HOLIDAY

street vendor in Ho Chi Minh City

- captured by Thy Lai