Many buildings in Ho Chi Minh City are being tainted by graffiti while the local authorities struggle to deal with the situation.

Graffiti on the wall of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School in District 3

Graffiti can be seen everywhere in the city, especially on several roads in including Le Duan, Ly Tu Trong, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Vo Thi Sau in District 1, and Dien Bien Phu, Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, Truong Dinh and Ngo Thoi Nhiem in District 3 which are home to many state agencies.

The walls of 130-year-old HCM City People's Court, recognised as a national architectural site have been tainted by graphics.

The offices of the Department of Industry and Trade, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the walls of several schools also look dirty with careless graffiti. 

The wall of the HCM City Food Safety Management Board's Office in District 1 is also tainted by graphics.

Hospitals, bridges, tunnels, bus stops or private houses are also covered with paintings of different styles by uninvited street artists.

Le Thanh Liem, a resident at Ben Nghe Ward in District 1 complained that the door of his houses and some other neighbours have to be repainted regularly due to graffiti. 

"We’re very angry at these graffiti painters but we cannot catch them," Liem said. "We’ve reported the situation with local authorities but no one have been fined for doing this. "I know that there are regulations which specify fines for these acts but it seems that no one has been fined. Sometimes I see a team going around to clean the walls but then they are tainted again shortly after."

Speaking with the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, chief of the District 3 People's Committee's office, Pham Thi Thuy Hang admitted that they are struggling to deal with the problem.

"Most of the graffiti is done at night so it is difficult to catch them," Hang said. 

Chairman of District 1 People's Committee, Nguyen Thi Thu Huong also shared the same difficulties. 

"We have recently sent out teams to patrol the streets at night and have caught red-handed several graffiti painters both local and foreigners," Huong said. "But we only gave warnings as their first violations."

Authorities in the two districts have also suggested inviting professional artists to repaint the walls with mural paintings featuring environment and children’s rights to prevent graffiti.

Dtinews