Plastic stools and sidewalk life in Vietnam

Plastic stools are everywhere in Vietnam because they make it easy to turn a slice of sidewalk into a café, a noodle stall or a meeting spot in seconds. They are cheap, light, stackable and low enough to fit around small tables on narrow pavements, and they have become a symbol of Vietnamese street life.

If you have seen photos of people perched on tiny red or blue stools around a steaming pot, this is what is going on.

What are the stools called?

The everyday word is ghế nhựa ("gay nyuh-ah"), literally "plastic chair." The low ones are sometimes called ghế đẩu (stool) or described as ghế thấp (low chair). Sidewalk eating and drinking spots are often called quán vỉa hè ("kwahn vee-ah heh"), meaning "sidewalk shop."

Vỉa hè is the sidewalk itself, and in many Vietnamese cities it does a lot more than carry pedestrians.

Why are the stools so low?

There are practical reasons:

• They are cheap. Vendors can buy many without a big investment.
• They stack. A whole café can be packed away at closing time.
• They are light. One person can move them quickly when space is needed.
• They fit narrow spaces. Low stools around low tables take up little room on crowded pavements.
• They are easy to clean. A quick wipe or rinse and they are ready again.

Low seating also has deeper roots. Traditional Vietnamese homes often had people sitting low, on mats or small stools, so it feels natural rather than strange. For a related look at café culture, see why the chairs are so small in Vietnamese coffee culture.

What happens on the sidewalk?

Sidewalk life covers almost every part of the day:

• Breakfast: noodle soups, sticky rice and bánh mì served from small stalls.
• Coffee: iced coffee at sidewalk cafés where people sit facing the street.
• Iced tea: a glass of trà đá (iced green tea) is a classic cheap stop for a chat. See why Vietnamese restaurants serve iced tea.
• Snacks: sunflower seeds, grilled snacks and sweet soups in the afternoon.
• Evening meals and drinks: groups gather for hot pot, grilled food and beer. In Hanoi, bia hơi, a light, fresh draft beer, is famous for sidewalk drinking.

The sidewalk also serves as a parking spot for motorbikes, a workshop for repairs and an extension of people's homes, with neighbors chatting in front of their doors.

Why do people like it so much?

• It is social. Sitting outside means seeing neighbors and friends and feeling part of the street.
• It is affordable. Sidewalk food and drinks are usually cheaper than restaurant meals.
• It is cooler. In hot weather, outside can be breezier than inside a small shop.
• It is fast. You sit, order and eat without ceremony.
• It is people-watching. Facing the street is half the entertainment.

Do the authorities allow it?

Sidewalk use is a long-running debate in Vietnamese cities. Vendors and residents rely on the space, while pedestrians often end up walking in the road. City governments have run campaigns at various times to clear sidewalks and reclaim them for walking. Rules and enforcement vary by city and change over time, and sidewalk life has proven very resilient.

Etiquette: how to join in

If you are visiting or eating at a Vietnamese street stall, a few tips help:

• Just sit. At most stalls you take a free stool and someone comes to you.
• Point and ask. Many places sell one or two items. Cho tôi một tô ("give me one bowl") works for noodles.
• Share tables. It is normal to sit near strangers when it is busy.
• Pay at the end. Usually you pay when you leave. Ask bao nhiêu? ("how much?"). See how to ask the price in Vietnamese.
• Leave the stool. Do not stack it unless asked; staff will handle it.

Stools as a symbol

The plastic stool has become an unofficial icon of Vietnam, appearing in photos, design and souvenirs. It stands for the informal, shared, slightly chaotic energy of the street, where a café can appear and disappear in an afternoon.

The next time you sit on a tiny stool at a Vietnamese stall, turn it to face the street; that view is half of what the sidewalk is for.