Not everywhere, somewhat at this small Ao Dai (Ao Dài) lane branching from Dien Co street of the newly-formed Bac Tu Liem district, more than 10km from the city centre.

The 400m-long lane boasts splashy paintings on its once lifeless walls, a non-professional work of arts reminiscent of Vietnamese propaganda images few decades ago. This decoration enters various themes close to local issues and interests, almost always containing purposeful messages. In one corner, a picture of a lovely 3-member family emerges with a poem on family planning, known as a call by the government to control birth rate in the 1990s and 2000s.

Elsewhere, slogans such as “work hard, study hard” or “children are the future of tomorrow” recall ethics lessons in elementary school. Paintings of environment protection and encouragement of working equally spring the array of gray walls into life.

Their author, Cao Chi Thinh, 95, started his embellishment roughly 20 years ago and continues to these days should any of the households allows him to modify their house exterior. A local, Thinh employed limewash to entertain his neighborhood as much as prevented the lane from wall vandalism. Thinh used to work as a propaganda poster maker and these paintings reveal his desire to mobilize his craft for public use as he got old. Inhabitants gladly receive his creativity, notably since the cost of these paintings was covered by Thinh himself. Many cite his wall paintings as embodiments of their childhood and inspiration for the kids.

By no means a showy representation of amusement, wall paintings at Ao Dai lane pride themselves as a difference in a district yet to be exploited for tourism. En route to the city’s Noi Bai airport, you may feel tempted to stop by and grab your cameras for a few minutes of pleasant remembrance.

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Words and Photos  by Hoai Sa

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