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Phung Hung Mural Street, Hanoi

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 8

One of Phung Hung Street’s murals

photography by: Omri Westmark

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Apparently, amid the hectic scenery of Hanoi, one can find an increasing number of art projects that aim to change the capital’s gritty reputation. Stretching across the walls of a mid-city railway embankment is a series of whimsical Trompe-l'œil murals, whose realistic appearance blurs the line between art and reality.

omriwestmark

By: Omri Westmark

Date: 11:51 02.09.23

Last Update: 01:51 07.02.25

Street Art Urban Hanoi Vietnam East & Central Asia

The railway line cutting through the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter is best known for the surreal sights of Train Street. However, a 200-meter elevated section has recently gained attention as an open-air museum showcasing the city’s historic and cultural heritage.

 

In 2018, as part of a joint collaboration between the Hoan Kiem District People’s Committee and the Korea Foundation, dozens of Vietnamese and Korean artists used a series of bricked-up arched openings along Phùng Hưng Street as their canvas, replacing the blank surface with 17 Trompe-l’œil paintings.

 

At first glance, these hyper-realistic paintings appear to be photographs, but a closer look reveals their true artistic nature. Each mural depicts traditional Hanoi scenes, from the iconic Trang Tien Department Store and the Mid-Autumn Festival on Hang Ma Street to street vendors with conical hats and bamboo baskets, as well as the delicate craft of a calligraphy master. Reflecting Hanoi’s role as the cradle of Vietnamese culture, the murals offer a glimpse of the city’s bygone era that slowly but steadily dissipates into oblivion.

 

In recent years, the paintings have become a quirky pilgrimage site for Instagrammers, who, in turn, do their best to blend into the colorful background, becoming an indistinguishable part of the mural itself.

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 3

photography by: Omri Westmark

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 6

photography by: Omri Westmark

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 1

photography by: Omri Westmark

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 2

photography by: Omri Westmark

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 4

photography by: Omri Westmark

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 5

photography by: Omri Westmark

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 12

photography by: Omri Westmark

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 7

photography by: Omri Westmark

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 9

photography by: Omri Westmark

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 10

photography by: Omri Westmark

Phung Hung Mural Street Hanoi Vietnam 11

The Trang Tien Department Store’s mural

photography by: Omri Westmark