VietNamNet Bridge – Paying just a few US dollars, tourists can get valuable war keepsakes like identity tags, coins, zippo lighters from waste collectors in the central province of Quang Tri. Selling war objects has been a business for several years, starting with the Demilitarised Zone Tour (DMZ).

We met Tran Ha, a reputed collector and provider of war objects for tourists in Khe Sanh town, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province, through the recommendation of a friend who works at the Relics and Landscape Centre of Quang Tri province.

Ha stated: “I collect war objects from hundreds of waste collectors from Tan Hop, Tan Lap and Lao Bao.”

He said over one year ago, an interpreter for a group of foreign visitors asked him whether he had any kind of antiques for sale. He answered that he only had war souvenirs for sale and showed them a pile of sundry items, ranging from military dog tags to US coins, canteens, etc. The foreign tourists bought all of these things.

Since then, Ha has been a trader of war keepsakes, the first in Khe Sanh town. He buys everything related to the war from waste collectors in Quang Tri to sell to tourists and antique collectors.

“There are two things that foreign visitors favour the most: dog tags of US soldiers and medals – the older, the better,” Ha said.

Ha’s small house is surrounded by modern ones in the centre of Khe Sanh town, which is considered the “Da Lat of Quang Tri”, but this old man is the “boss” of this special occupation. His products are very diverse, including even bomb shells, bullet covers and tank bodies.

“Only foreign tourists buy these things as souvenirs. We sell them for several pennies…,” said Ha’s wife, named Lanh.

But Ha said he can earn several tens of US dollars for some kinds of things. He showed us 13 coins which have the word “Francaise”. Ha said: “These coins were left from the French domination period. Vietnamese tourists pay VND100,000 ($6) for a coin but it is $15-20 if I sell it to foreign visitors.” US dog tags are priced at VND200,000 ($12) each.

A waste collector in Khe Sanh town said around five years ago, these war objects were abundant and they were melted down at metal kilns. But since tourists have been buying these things, they have become quite rare.

Some traders go to the Vietnam-Laos border to buy these objects.

Hien, 40, always keeps a lot of war objects to show to tourists. “I often go to coffee plantations to collect these things. After rains, I can find hundreds of objects such as identity tags, badges and coins.”

Hai, a waste collector in the past and a war keepsake seller at present, said only several areas at present still have war objects. Sometimes he has to go to the forest where ethnic minority groups like Pako and Van Kieu live by collecting war objects.

(Source: TP)