Vietnam has undergone a series of urban transformations since the turn of the 20th century. Saigon was transformed into Ho Chi Minh City, a dynamic, modern metropolis. But remnants of the past remain.
Between 2010 and 2015, I worked in Saigon, where I was fascinated by the rare glimpses of handmade shop signs. These were remnants of an era gone by.
A tasty noodle dish with vintage zinc
In 1952, on Tran Cao Van – a tree-lined street that is now one of the most sought-after locations in Saigon – a street cart was selling noodles. He made a living at that corner of the road for almost 30 years. The noodle maker had moved from his cart into a nearby store by the time Vietnam had gained its independence, won its wars, and settled in (somewhat).
The restaurant was named after the street where he worked for years so his loyal customers could find him. He also marked the location with a large, three-dimensional zinc sign.
The interior sign of Pho Cao Van was created in the 1970s. Photographed in 2015. C. Nualart is the author.
As Vietnamese refugees returned to their homeland for a short visit, the reputation of the restaurant for its delicious broth and comforting bowls of pho spread internationally.
Hong, in her 60s today, is the adopted daughter of the owner and runs Pho Cao Van. She practically grew in the restaurant, which hasn’t changed much since its opening. Two artisanal signs from the 1970s still hang in the restaurant, one on the façade and the other inside.
Original outdoor zinc sign from the 1970s. C. Nualart is the author.
Hong said that a plastic sign sponsored by a beverage was placed outside the house in 1975 after Saigon. As a precaution to protect their zinc sign from theft or plunder, the family decided to hide it inside until things settled down. The family replaced it with a plastic sign, which has been there ever since.
In fact, the electrical light above the entrance of the shop was indeed taken shortly after the sign had been moved inside. Old metal signs continue to be sold in Vietnam for cash, which is why they are so rare.
Hong in 2015 at Pho Cao Van. C. Nualart is the Author.
Vinh Loi’s watch shop
A golden metal sign that was even older used to decorate the entrance of Vinh Loi’s watch repair shop located in Cholon Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinatown. The only thing left of the metal letters that were created in 1964 is a blackened hole and a dirt outline on the storefront.
The owner is delighted to tell me the lettering had been stolen three years earlier. Vinh believes the letters were stolen because they were valuable and old.
A golden line of Chinese characters on the back wall of the shop spells out “technology of clocks and watches.” The signs were installed at the same time, nearly 50 years ago, as the outdoor sign. In the area where Chinese immigrants settled in the late 1800s, bilingual signs are common.
The shop owner is wrong to believe that the lettering was valued as an antique. It is more likely that the scrap metal was sold. The bronzed color of the item could have made a thief hope for a higher price.
Photographed in 2015, the 1960s lettering on Vinh Loi’s shop. C. Nualart, provided by the author
The bodybuilder who painted
A hand-painted sign for a local gym featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger has also disappeared.
Phu Sy Hue has been the first master of bodybuilding at the gym since 1975. That was the year the Vietnam-American War came to an end. Phu remembers that around 1980, a sign painted with a portrait of Schwarzenegger on a roadside was put up.
Phu Sy Hue, a long-time bodybuilder, in 2015. C. Nualart is the Author.
The portrayal of a former Hollywood star was unusual at the time because Vietnam had little contact with the outside world. Tri, who was a bodybuilder and had studied painting but was not a commercial signwriter, painted the sign for the club.
Since the advent of digital print in the late 90s, this profession is so rare that only a few shops are able to order such a sign.
In the early 1990s, an American tourist came across the sign. Impressed by its strangeness, he bought it immediately for a price that seemed reasonable to both parties, considering the disparity between the incomes of the two countries.
Tri began painting a new sign (the lead image in this article, which is blue) that hung at the entrance of the gym from the 1990s until around 2013. The poster was removed by construction workers and placed in the parking area near the weight room. A foreigner with some hard currency found it again and offered to purchase it.
These depictions are a testament to celebrities’ power in spreading American pop culture far and wide. A digitally printed sign has been used to advertise the bodybuilding facility since the renovation of the fitness club in 2015.
The entrance to the health club now features a digitally printed sign that is not very appealing. C. Nualart provided
HCMC in the 21st Century
The urban landscape of Vietnam is rapidly changing, but there are some constants: Phu, an amateur bodybuilder, is still training despite being in his 60s.
No doubt, the phenomenal development of Ho Chi Minh City during the 21st Century, documented by Erik Harms and others, has led to a loss of vintage signage. While academics and art experts debate what should be preserved and collected in museums and archives – city centers in Vietnam and elsewhere continue to reflect changing tastes.
According to research, factory-made signs are more popular in Vietnam because they’re cheaper, faster, and easier to acquire. Signwriters in Ho Chi Minh City are harder to come by than the nostalgic vintage signs.