Hanoi viewed through Leica M

[kiemchacsu]

Very interesting photo Michael. In deed it says a lot of things about Hanoi, such as:- motobike is the main private transport- in 2008, wearing the helmet while driving motobike was not compulsory. It is now.- young folks tend to violate the traffic law quite often. In the picture you showed, 3 pax on a bike is illegal (maximum of 2)If you have chance to visit Hanoi now, you would be surprise how developed it is now. Please do share more photos you have.

 

[Vincent.G]

I like this thread.
Thanks for sharing photos of Hanoi.
I strongly encourage you to capture as much of the daily life street scenes before modern development takes over.

I have a upcoming trip to Vietnam this year end and I am really looking forward to it.

 

[dubaiphil]

A great thread, Nguyen.

I visited your country in September 2009, staying in Hanoi and visiting Ha Long before moving on to Cambodia, and loved it. Your shots bring back many happy memories as my wife and I spent a few days wandering around the city and getting lost! I would post some black and white additions to thread but they're not on a film M and not even on a rangefinder, so don't want to hijack! Walking the streets of Hanoi started me getting into the idea of street photography

 

[MichaelW]

Very interesting photo Michael. In deed it says a lot of things about Hanoi, such as:- motobike is the main private transport- in 2008, wearing the helmet while driving motobike was not compulsory. It is now.- young folks tend to violate the traffic law quite often. In the picture you showed, 3 pax on a bike is illegal (maximum of 2)If you have chance to visit Hanoi now, you would be surprise how developed it is now. Please do share more photos you have.

Before Hanoi I had been to KL and it was amazing how different they were. KL was full of big shopping malls and western consumer culture had been enthusiastically embraced. By comparison Hanoi was quiet and old fashioned. I saw a lot of the city in two weeks and never saw a shopping mall. I did however see the start of some consumer culture and it seemed the population was keen for that, so I wouldn't be surprised to hear there was a lot of retail development. I didn't even see many supermarkets - most of the daily essentials sere being sold on the street by people with stalls in doorways.

 

[kiemchacsu]

I've bumped to an interesting article about development in Hanoi by an English guy. Please check it here

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/aug/11/hanoi-slums-vietnam-urban-planning-construction

 

[kuuan]

thank you very much Nguyen for your fascinating photos, for showing Hanoi to us as it is. Yes there are new developments, but still..
thank you also all other contributers to this beautiful thread!

Hanoi is a photographer's paradise. It's a very beautiful city, fascinating street live, gigantic trees lining avenues with colonial buildings, Chinese quarters, a good number of lakes with people enjoying their evening at their shores, and and and.. Highly recommended, so to say 😉 ( oops, I had added a photo, but it had not been taken by a Leica M, now deleted )

I have been to Vietnam dozens of times on business trips as my company has an office there. I have never heard anyone there including friends, relatives (by way of my brother's in laws), co workers, employees, contractors, strangers, while drunk or sober ever mentioned even for a brief moment the "American war" or any sort of regret or hatred toward Americans. Is this an American thing keeping bringing back past conflicts over and over again? Earlier in this thread there was a photo of a child holding a plastic gun, something that could have been from any child in any country but the fact that it was Vietnam reminded the poster about the war. Truly bizarre.

you must be very right. I am European but still, when I arrived in Vietnam for first time a few years back the 'American war', as it is called here, was on top of my mind. Not so for Vietnamese I fast found out, then I realized: this war ended middle of the 70s, then abt. 35 years, now almost 40 back. Who would, in the 1980s, 35 or 40 years after the second world war had ended, in the US, Europe or any place, constantly think about it?

 

[julescasablancas]

I've stayed in Hanoi for a weekend. Loved that place, good food and a glass of roadside beer cost 50 US cents

Untitled by therightword ! ;], on Flickr

Untitled by therightword ! ;], on Flickr

Untitled by therightword ! ;], on Flickr

Untitled by therightword ! ;], on Flickr

 

[kiemchacsu]

Folks, Thanks very much for your inputs to enrich this thread.
As promised, I will now try to capture the developing(ed) sides of Hanoi, here's the newest one: the upper middle class

#51
New upper middle class in Hanoi by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

 

[Baby of Macon]

Excellent thread which I too have just come across. Please keep posting - great images of a fascinating city.

 

[kiemchacsu]

#52 I have a chance to try the 35/2.8 Summaron, amazing lens!

a boy riding fixie by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

 

[KarlG]

Thank you all for your posts! I will be visiting Hanoi in the first week of October - really looking forward to exploring the streets and meeting the people of this beautiful city!

 

[kiemchacsu]

Thank you all for your posts! I will be visiting Hanoi in the first week of October - really looking forward to exploring the streets and meeting the people of this beautiful city!

Welcome to the city! Do not hesitate to contact me in case you need some advice or even a couple of beers! Cheers!

 

[kiemchacsu]

#53 site clearance for road widening
The land compensation has been an issue for development in Vietnam. A lot of conflicts have been happening between the Government and Citizens.

site clearance for road widening by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

 

[kiemchacsu]

#54: trader in Dong Xuan market which is the largest cover market in Hanoi.

in Dong Xuan market by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

 

[JustPlainBill]

Hi.
Thank you for sharing your pictures of Hanoi. Keep them coming!
JustPlainBill

 

[kiemchacsu]

Hi.
Thank you for sharing your pictures of Hanoi. Keep them coming!
JustPlainBill

Thank you sir, here's another one from same batch with #54

#55: Old man with his cat in front of his sundries kiosk

Old man with his cat in front of his sundries kiosk by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

 

[MichaelW]

#54 is great!

 

[kiemchacsu]

Thank you,
A panorama stitched from 2 shots using Leica M2 / 35F2 Summicron
New developments inserted in the old areas. Fullsize please check on flickr stream.

56
1408 hanoi panorama (copyrighted) by kiemchacsu, on Flickr

#54 is great!

 

[blue4130]

I am also heading to Hanoi again for a week in October. Maybe I'll get in touch for a beer.

 

[kiemchacsu]

I am also heading to Hanoi again for a week in October. Maybe I'll get in touch for a beer.

Feel free to drop me a text when you are in Hanoi!