in Hoa Binh Province, tourists can visit the first money-printing plant in Vietnam, named Chi Ne, where they can see the first banknotesissued by the Vietnam Democratic Republic in 1946.

To develop the first money printing plant, credit should be given to patriotic capitalist Do Dinh Thien. In the early years of independence, the country fell into difficulties when the budget was exhausted.

The government decided to set up a money printing factory for the Ministry of Finance to issue banknotes of the independent Vietnam. At that time Thien spent a fortune to purchase the Hanoi-based Taupin Printing House, one of the two largest and most modern printing enterprises in Vietnam. He donated it to the government.

The Ministry of Finance then moved part of the factory to Chi Ne plantation, which was also owned by Thien.

The first banknotes of independent Vietnam were not beautiful and the quality was not good but the people were very enthusiastic because they represented independence, freedom and national sovereignty.

On the banknotes was the portrait of President Ho Chi Minh. The first banknotes became a weapon of struggle on the economic and financial front and a way of rejecting the Indochina banknotes of the French.

The banknote with the largest value was VND100, which was called the "green buffalo" banknote as it had a picture of a buffalo on it. This factory has become a relic site since 2010.

To read the complete article, see:
Inside Vietnam's first money-printing enterprise (http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/travel/137568/inside-vietnam-s-first-money-printing-enterprise.html)