The “Bao Cap” Barbershop at 42 Nguyen Cong Tru Street in Dien Hong Ward opened in July 2025. Without flashy signage or bright lights, the salon recreates the atmosphere of a bygone period through carefully arranged objects from decades past.
Inside, visitors encounter items reminiscent of the era: a faded miniature bicycle in the corner, low wooden tables and chairs, an old elephant-ear fan, a preserved radio, ration coupons, an aging television set, cassette tapes and a vintage dish cabinet. The soft melodies of Trinh music play in the background, encouraging customers to slow down from the pace of modern life.
The shop is owned by Nguyen Thu Hien, 25, who developed the idea after studying hairdressing in Ho Chi Minh City.
Hien said that after graduating from high school in 2018, she spent two years learning the trade in the southern metropolis. Beyond technical training, she became fascinated by visits to old apartment blocks and cafés decorated with items from the subsidy era, objects she had previously only heard about in her parents’ stories.
She returned to Gia Lai in 2020 with plans to open her own salon. However, a health setback forced her to delay the project. During that period, she reflected on her ambitions and began collecting vintage items. With help from friends, she later restored and arranged them to create the salon’s distinctive interior.
“Although I didn’t live through the subsidy era, the more I learn about it, the more I see its beautiful values,” Hien said. “I’m drawn to its simplicity and the optimistic spirit of a time marked by scarcity but rich in affection, so I wanted to bring a touch of that era into my daily work”.
More than eight months after opening, the modest shop has developed a loyal clientele. Many customers visit not only for a haircut but also to listen to old songs and reminisce about earlier days.
Alongside running the salon, Hien regularly provides free haircuts to people facing hardship, including individuals with disabilities, lottery ticket sellers and motorbike taxi drivers.
Tran Hoang Anh, who has supported the salon since its early days, said the staff share Hien’s commitment to helping others.
“Hien wants to maintain free haircuts for those in need, so we hairstylists are always willing to lend a hand”, he said. “Everyone is happy to share with those who struggle, many of whom used to get haircuts only occasionally while saving money for daily necessities”.
One of the regular beneficiaries is Nguyen Huu Chien, 65, a lottery ticket vendor from An Phu Ward who lost an arm in a workplace accident years ago and now walks city streets each day to earn a living.
“Income from selling lottery tickets is very unstable, some days are good, some not”, Chien said. “My wife is in poor health, and her medicine depends on what I earn. Sometimes my hair gets too long, but I delay getting it cut to save money. Receiving free haircuts from these young people warms my heart”.
Hien has also extended her efforts beyond the salon by connecting with charity groups to provide free haircuts for children at the SOS Children’s Village Pleiku and other facilities caring for disadvantaged children in the western part of the province.
“For many, a neat haircut may seem trivial”, she said. “But for those who struggle daily to make ends meet, it’s a quiet act of sharing. This is how I preserve cherished memories, not just through old objects”.