Uniquely Vietnamese Shopping Options in Hanoi

Part exhibition space, part cafe-bar, this gallery is housed in a gorgeous early 20th century villa and is one of the main hubs for Hanoi‘s small but robust art scene. Works by emerging and established Vietnamese artists are shown throughout the airy interior of the villa.

Whether you agree with its sentiments or not, there’s no denying the visual aesthetic of Communist propaganda art. Vietnam’s is particularly attractive, with a strong feminine touch coming through in many of the designs. Reproductions are sold in many venues in the Old Quarter including shops like Old Propaganda Posters, a prosaically named outlet on Hang Bac Street.

If you don’t get the chance to visit Bat Trang -- a village just outside Hanoi famous for the quality of its ceramics -- a visit to this long-established shop should do the trick. Colorful crockery, ceramic lamps, and other products are among the items on sale here.

You need to be an early bird indeed to catch the worm at Long Bien Market. Most of the action happens around 3-4 a.m., when all of the produce from north of Hanoi lands here before being distributed throughout the city.

Local artisans benefit from this nonprofit organisation, which sells their crafts such as bags, textiles, scarves and trinkets at fair market prices. Items are of high quality and prices are reasonable.