(VOVworld) – Visitors to bustling Hang Buom street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter should take notice of a coffee shop whose front is designed to look like an army tent. It has a plain signboard that reads “Soldier”. Inside, it appears to be a small museum preserving war items. VOV reporter To Tuan checked out this one-of-a-kind coffee shop.
In a 25-square-meter room are various military items. The tables and chairs appear to be ammunition boxes. Through the glass table tops, you can see many former soldiers’ personal items and war souvenirs. The ceiling is covered with army camouflage netting and parachute fabric which is lit by yellow lights resembling flares. On the walls are cartridge belts, backpacks, military headwear, canteens, and faded uniforms decorated with medals, insignias, and badges of liberation soldiers. Owner Le Tuan Nghia says he is a passionate antiquarian. While collecting these items, he came across many items representative of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, and hatched a plan to open a soldier-themed coffee shop.
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Nghia recalls: " I want to help the younger generation learn about the past and how our ancestors fought the war. With this collection, I wanted to create a place for war veterans to meet and share their memories. Every item and decoration should remind guests of the hardships of war that became the daily life of our ancestors."
Nguyen Manh Hiep is a war veteran living in Tay Ho ward. He often visits his friends here to relive the harrowing times they experienced on the Quang Tri battlefield. "Many of my comrades died at the front. When I look at these war items, I get a nostalgic feeling. They remind me of my friends, comrades, and the battles we fought in."
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The shop displays items of soldiers on both sides of the front-line. On one side of the room are personal belongings of American soldiers such as watches, helmets, shoes, multi-functional knives, and a manual on surviving in Vietnam. John Woolly, an American veteran, wrote in the café’s commemorative book that it’s great to visit a coffee shop dedicated to soldiers, to men who fought and sometimes gave their lives.
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The other side of the room displays items from Vietnamese liberation soldiers such as a leather belt and rubber sandals. There is a small doll that a soldier wanted to bring home for his daughter when the war ended. Nguyen Manh Hiep again: "Our soldiers had limited resources but we beat the American troops. I can’t understand why we had the strength for fighting. We should preserve these items for our children to learn about our tradition and how their ancestors fought for national liberation."
Many young people like this coffee shop. Most of them know the war only through books and movies. Nguyen Ngoc Thai works in banking. "This is a silent moment of the war. We sit here enjoying the sentimental music and look at items that accompanied the soldiers on their way to liberate the nation. I’m proud of our predecessors and I hope the younger generation will uphold the tradition of defending national sovereignty."
To Tuan