Stack that paper: A stand sells old dong bills. It is customary for shop keepers to sell one bill to one customer so that many will have the chance to acquire them. (Photo: VNA).

Shops open from 6am to 2pm. Buyers and sellers both pay a 30,000 VND (1.3 USD) entrance fee, which includes a drink from the café.

“We call it a market but in reality, it’s more like a place where people who share the same passion for antiques come together to meet and talk,” said a shopkeeper who goes by the name of Khanh.

“Sometimes, collectors just come in to show off their treasures. Many others just come to have a cup of coffee and watch,” he added.

Antique hunters travel the country to collect their wares; some even bring things from overseas to sell here. One can find anything here: vintage cameras, typewriters, watches and out-of-circulation coins and bills.

Business here is done in a different way: no bargaining, no yelling and no rushing. Both buyers and sellers take the time to talk, to carefully watch and to admire precious items that belong to a distant time.

Source: VNA