Fan Vendor Fined for Verbally Abusing Tour Guide at Hoan Kiem Lake

On November 12, a representative of Hoan Kiem Ward Police announced that authorities imposed a 1.2 million VND administrative fine on the fan vendor for unauthorized street vending and causing public disorder, while demanding that she refrain from reoffending. The incident occurred on November 8, after tour guide Nguyen Tri Minh advised foreign tourists not to purchase fans from the vendor at 100,000 VND each.

According to Mr. Minh, while he was leading a group of 18 foreign tourists waiting for their shuttle near Hoan Kiem Lake on the afternoon of November 8, a female street vendor approached and pitched paper fans at 100,000 VND per piece. Observing that the quality of the fans did not justify the asking price, he suggested the guests counter-offer 50,000 VND for two fans. The vendor subsequently lashed out with verbal abuse and physically confronted him for several minutes.

A quick survey across major e-commerce platforms shows that similar printed paper hand fans typically retail for around 20,000 to 30,000 VND each.

Mr. Minh posted video footage capturing the altercation on his personal social media page, drawing widespread public attention. Many commenters criticized the vendor’s behavior for tarnishing the image of Vietnamese tourism.

“I understand that street vendors are trying to make a living, but aggressive behavior like this negatively impacts Vietnam’s tourism image,” Mr. Minh said.

Earlier this year, Hoan Kiem Ward Police issued fines in several similar cases involving unauthorized street vending and aggressive tourist solicitation. On June 10, a female vendor who charged foreign visitors 430,000 VND for 10 fried doughnuts was fined 225,000 VND for unlawful street vending and was formally admonished to display prices clearly and sell at fair rates. In February, a motorbike taxi driver who arbitrarily altered a route and demanded 1 million VND from an American tourist received an administrative fine and was ordered to refund the passenger.