When you have been to Hanoi multiple times like we have, you start looking for some off the beaten path things to do.  Luckily, there are two sets of murals in Hanoi and both are within walking distance of the main tourist center of Hanoi.

We first visited the trompe l’oeil murals.  This is a street art project that was jointly created by Vietnam and Korea.  The 20 or so murals are painted on sealed archways of a railroad bridge.  Many of the murals look like they are coming right out of the archways.  The murals start at 27 Phùng Hưng, Hàng Mã, Hoàn Kiếm.  When we were there, there were almost no other tourists.

Trompe l’oeil mural.

Trompe l’oeil mural.

Trompe l’oeil mural.

Trompe l’oeil mural.

The next day, we visited the ceramic murals.  These murals were created along the walls of a dike and run for about 4 miles.  Apparently, it holds the Guinness record for being the longest ceramic mural.  Unfortunately, the murals are next to a narrow sidewalk on a VERY busy road, so it was a bit hard to see them and impossible to get decent photos.

Ceramic mural.

Ceramic mural.

Ceramic mural.

Ceramic mural.

We wouldn’t make a special trip to Hanoi to see these murals, but they are a nice way to spend some time if you’ve seen the other highlights of the town.