Many services are in high demand following the trend of painting the national flag.

In recent days, a painting depicting three famous landmarks in Nghe An province on the roller shutter door of a shoe shop in Vinh City has become a popular check-in spot for city residents, especially young people.

Mr. Nguyen Khanh Tung, the owner of the painting, said: “Uncle Ho's birthplace, Ho Chi Minh Square, and Vinh Ancient Citadel are famous landmarks of Nghe An, and a source of pride for the people of Nghe An. The landscape painting on the roller shutter door measures 7m x 3m with many meticulous details, requiring considerable time and effort. The painting was created by 9 artists over several days.”

Originating from a TikToker in Vinh Phuc who transformed rooftops into the national flag, the practice of painting and decorating with the red flag with a yellow star spread nationwide, subsequently evolving into various variations. Rooftops and window frames covered in the red color of the flag, maps of Vietnam, or images of national leaders are quite common in Vinh City and have spread to many rural areas in Nghe An.

Except for a few people who are naturally gifted at coming up with ideas and designs themselves, the majority of people have to hire artists to do it.

Where there is supply, there is demand. Driven by public taste and trends, many artists have formed groups to design and create paintings depicting the national flag, maps of Vietnam, national leaders, and scenic landmarks of Nghe An province.

Le Trong Huy, a freelance artist in Do Luong, said: "From mid-August until now, people in Do Luong, especially in the town area, have started a trend of painting the national flag on roller doors, particularly in cafes and supermarkets. So far, I have received 10 orders to paint the national flag and map of Vietnam on roller doors."

Because the paintings are large and wide, they are quite elaborate and time-consuming, taking 1.5-2 days per piece. As Independence Day approaches, demand increases, and the construction schedule becomes more urgent, so we have to work through lunchtime and even into the evening. The price of each painting varies depending on the size, averaging 100,000 VND per square meter.²"

According to Huy, clients usually come up with the initial ideas, but the artist, with their knowledge, advises them on the painting's requirements: Firstly, it must convey a sense of solemnity and pride. When painting the golden star, the center of the star must be on the chest. Secondly, when incorporating other images into the flag or map, they must be accurate, meaningful, and not distort the original content.

In recent days, to meet customer orders, 36-year-old Dinh Bat Giap, a freelance artist in Vinh City, and his team of workers have been working overtime continuously. On average, Giap's team completes about 5 orders a day for artistic decoration on rooftops and roller shutters.

"When the trend of drawing images of the national flag exploded online, we received many orders from people. Besides the national flag, many customers requested images of maps, leaders of the Party and State, or important historical events of the country. On average, each person in the group earns 800,000 to 1 million VND per day, including food and drinks," Mr. Giap said.

Although it originated on social media, it has stirred up patriotism and national pride, spreading widely. Its appearance close to National Day on September 2nd has led to a surge in demand for this type of artistic decoration. Many freelance artists and informal service providers have emerged to meet the public's needs.

On average, the cost of painting red and yellow star-patterned images on roller shutters is 1-1.5 million VND per painting; paintings incorporating images of maps, President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, or historical events cost 2.5-5 million VND per painting; other paintings with more detail, elaborate and meticulous designs can sometimes cost up to tens of millions of VND.