In contrast with the blooming high-rise buildings and shopping malls in Ho Chi Minh City of recent years, a number of traders run their business out of very small shops.

These places have seen a wide range of businesses, from street food stores, coffee shops and motorbike repair venues to painting shops and silk boutiques.

Some of their owners say they have run their businesses for more than ten years.

Tran Manh Hung, the owner of a motorbike repair shop on Dien Bien Phu Street in Binh Thanh District, said that although he wants to invest in more motorbike parts, he has no space for them in this tiny place. Photo: Tuoi Tre

This old man and his family have run their small grocery from this small place in an alley in District 5 for more than 40 years. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Tran Minh Man rents this house with an area of less than three square meters on Dien Bien Phu Street in Binh Thanh District for VND3 million (US$140) per month. His job is carving headstones. Man can only display some of his works and put a very small table in the house to receive customers’ orders. Other activities take place on the sidewalk in front of his shop. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A silk boutique on Dong Khoi Street in District 1 has a width of just over one meter. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The Lotus painting shop on the corner of Ngo Duc Ke and Dong Khoi Streets in District 1 has been run for more than 10 years despite its width of only 80cm. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Many shops have little space but their owners have to pay a high price for renting the premises since they are located in downtown areas. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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