VietNamNet Bridge - About 20km from Hanoi’s center, Dong Ky and Phu Khe carpentry villages in Tu Son commune, Bac Ninh province look like Chinese streets because most signboards are in Chinese.

The signposts in Chinese on Nguyen Van Cu Street of Dong Ky ward, Tu Son district, Bac Ninh province.

Along the main road of Dong Ky Ward, the street around Phu Khe Thuong timber market in Tu Son district are a lot of signboards written in Chinese and Vietnamese.

Under the advertising law of Vietnam 2012, advertising products must be expressed in Vietnamese. In the case of using foreign languages on the same product, the size of the foreign languages must be less than 3/4 of the size of the Vietnamese letters and must be placed underneath the Vietnamese letters.

Since most of the signboards on these streets break the advertising rules, these streets look like streets in China, not Vietnam.

According to local residents, their major clients are Chinese traders so their signboards are in Chinese. They said up to 2,000-3,000 Chinese traders come here to do business.

The Head of the Culture Division of Tu Son town – Mr. Tran Duc Quyet confirmed with VietNamNet that since the beginning of 2013, the local authorities strictly inspected and asked all shops to remove all signboards in Chinese only but they have not fined any violator. Quyet said the violation only took place in early months of 2013.

The official said Tu Son town was recently established with 12 communes and wards, including Phu Khe and Dong Ky traditional carpentry villages.

Quyet explained that China is the main export market of the two villages. Chinese entrepreneurs have come here to do business for many years. They also make joint ventures with local people and open stores here. They also open restaurants and hotels. This is the reason why signboards in Chinese are very popular in these villages.

According to Quyet, currently there are only three hotels run by Vietnamese in Dong Ky, seven transport agents which are JVs between Chinese and Vietnamese and six restaurants and hotels in Phu Khe, plus two JV hotels in Huong Mac have Chinese signboards.

“So far this year we have conducted three signboard inspection campaigns. We found more than 30 signboards in Chinese language, including 10 signboards only in Chinese. We requested to remove these signboards. At present there are only 3-4 new ones. We will check again and ask people to remove them,” Quyet added.

The signboards of the furniture store and the hotel on Nguyen Van Cu Street are in Chinese.

Ads by a transport firm with Chinese scripts.

The signboard of an air ticket agent on Nguyen Van Cu Street.

A small ads on Chinese and Vietnamese language teaching written in Chinese on a street in Dong Ky ward.

Rosewood sale ads at a wood store.

Many transport companies run by Chinese people hung billboards in Chinese in Phu Khe Thuong.

Restaurants with signboards in Chinese.

Some restaurants are run by Chinese.

Signboards in Chinese in Phu Khe Thuong.

Many billboards with Chinese scripts bigger than Vietnamese words.

The signboard of a furniture company in Phu Khe Thuong.

A Chinese trader in Phu Khe Thuong.

Planks of wood marked with Chinese scripts by Chinese traders.

"China Town" in Ha Long

Besides the Chinese street in Tu Son, Bac Ninh, there are other Chinese streets in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province.

The road along the coast of Bai Chay is one of the most beautiful roads in Ha Long City. This route attracts the majority of tourists at home and abroad by the beautiful space, the systems of hotels and shops selling souvenirs along the sidewalks.

However, many visitors to Bai Chay are surprise and puzzled by dozens of hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops with the signboards in Chinese characters.

Mr. Huynh Ngoc Hue, a tourist from Bac Giang province, said: "I wanted to find a souvenir shop to buy gifts for my family. Walking along the street I only saw stores with Chinese signboards so I thought they might be run by Chinese. I was confused because I cannot speak Chinese. However, I ventured into a few stores and all the salespeople are Vietnamese."

Mr. Dao Dinh Phu, 65, a tourist from Hanoi, said: "I think no matter what the purpose, cherishing and upholding the Vietnamese with national pride is sacred and the most important. It is really sad that the Vietnamese is treated like this only for profits."

It is also difficult for Western visitors when all shops have signboards in Chinese.

Several shop owners said the number of Chinese visitors to this city is huge so they hang signboards in Chinese to serve Chinese visitors.

Many of them said they did not know about the advertising laws and they were not reminded by the local authorities so they kept using signboards in Chinese language.

In relation to the incident, Mr. Doan Manh Linh, an official from the Quang Ninh Provincial Department of Culture - Sports and Tourism said that the department would remind shops to replace the signboards in Chinese language by those in Vietnamese language; otherwise the signboards would be removed compulsorily.

Shops with signboards in Chinese in Bai Chay, Ha Long.

Le Anh Dung