Some bookshops are tiny and specialise in school and university textbooks. Others provide a multitude of choices for readers of all ages, and sell associated items such as maps, globes, toys, writing implements and stationery.
Here are some of the largest (all air-conditioned):
National Political Publisher (run by the Communist Party of Vietnam), 24 Quang Trung St
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We talked to Nguyen Minh Y, Vice Director of the publisher’s distribution centre, who said:
“We sell all kinds of books relating to politics, law, social sciences, culture, history, and tourism.
“Sixty percent of our books are on the theories of politics, economics, legality, culture and social issues, while 30 percent are classical Marxist-Leninist works, CPV and state documents. The rest of our store includes textbooks of Marxist-Leninist disciplines, and localities’ history, and reference books on international issues, for example.
“There has been always a high demand for the books published by us, and we established six branches across the country to serve our readers.
Our customers vary widely, from researchers and politicians to state agency staff and college students. Even many farmers find their books here – i.e. those related to the Land Law.”
Most of these books are in Vietnamese, but some of them are bilingual (Vietnamese-English).
Besides, they retail some entertainment books, like comics for children.
The Gioi (The World) Publishers, 46 Tran Hung Dao St
This government-owned organisation publishes a wide range of titles in seven major languages (English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese) as well as a bi-monthly magazine, all concentrating on Vietnam’s history and culture. This is a great place for visitors to Vietnam to start if searching for authentic information. Distribution and export of its products is a major income-earner for the enterprise.
Vietnam Book Corporation, 44 Trang Tien St
A six-story building with a wide range of books. The ground floor consists of Vietnamese-language (quoc van) books on all topics such as literature, sports, health, fashion, family, cookery, arts, music, Information Technology, technique, politics, journalism, history, and culture. The books may be written by Vietnamese or foreign authors (and then translated into the Vietnamese language). On sale on the first floor are also textbooks for children and all sorts of stationery.
Level 2 (ngoai van) has many art and other books in French and English as well as language tapes and TEFL materials and dictionaries, most of which are imported.
Level 3 contains a wide range of children’s books and toys, supplies for school students and cookbooks.
Thang Long, 53-55 Trang Tien St
This shop is an outlet for numerous magazines in Vietnamese and other languages. There is a large section of books on Vietnamese art, culture and history, and a bigger selection of novels in English. There is a large section of sheet music for guitar, organ and piano, and a discount table at the front with many discounted items.
Also this shop has school textbooks and guides for teaching and learning other languages. Its reference books include works on finance and art. Maps and posters are also available here.
Infostones, 41 Trang Tien St
This upmarket government-owned store is a major importer and distributor of foreign books in Vietnam. As well as supplying universities and other bookshops, Infostones supplies the main public libraries in the country, (including Hanoi’s at 22-26 Ly Thuong Kiet). The company also has a branch in District 1, Ho Chi Minh city.
The store stocks a wide range of beautiful coffee table books, many on architecture, design and art, but includes English language novels, Vietnamese cookery and a range of other reference topics. Infostones also has a selection of foreign magazines as well as ebooks for computer users.
The Bookworm, 15A Ngo Van So
This family-run bookshop, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, concentrates on English language books and holds talks by writers and exhibits the work of young local artists. The Bookworm offers its customers a buy back deal where one third the original price can be used towards new purchases. It also has many marked down and second-hand books.
The Foreign Language Bookshop, 32 Hai Ba Trung
This bookshop, government-owned, provides many choices of dictionaries as well as references in such languages as Chinese and Japanese in subjects like business and accounting. There is a selection of world newspapers and magazines and English classical literature in full and the crib form used by students. There are a number of large books on architecture and design and smaller ones on early childhood health and Vietnamese cookery, history and culture. For those wanting to teach English, there is a range of TOEFL manuals. Jigsaw puzzles are near the front door.
Hanoians can also choose from a myriad of smaller stores with different specialities. Many in Ba Trieu and Ly Thuong Kiet sell school textbooks and Vietnamese language novels and reference items. There are also many sellers targeting mainly foreign tourists around Hoan Kiem Lake, with photocopied editions of popular fiction and travel books.
This story covers only a small part of Hanoi and many have been left off the list as this is a rough guide to only the biggest or most renowned.
For Hanoians who love to read, the new nine-story public library, currently under construction in Ba Trieu St, will offer a quiet place to browse and research all the titles Hanoian people love under one very large roof.
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