Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Enterprising Hanoi street vendors

Vietnamese recycle goods collector managed to strike a deal to buy the used carton box.

She's using the 'daching' weighing scale which is an old traditional method.

Instead of folding the box and hook it up to the weighing scale,she weigh the whole box standing with a tip toe.

She must have reasons not to fold the box which was well taped below it.

Maybe her buyers must be those wholesle sundry shops who need it for packing goods.





Old corrugated fibre box or cardbox are an excellent source of fibre for recycling.

They can be compressed and baled for cost effective transport.

The baled boxes are put in a hydropulper, which is a large vat of warm water for cleaning and processing.

The pulp slurry is then used to make new paper and fiber products.

The other basket was an iron frame which will soon be sent to a steel mill for melting down and recycling.






View from rooftop of my guesthouse.
Every morning it would be interesting to watch the many street vendors walking with their merchandise along Luong Ngoc Nguyen heading to the Cho Dong Xuan market to sell their goods which is another ten minutes walk from here.
  This Vietnamese street vendor loaded her goods on a bicycle as it might be too heavy and tedious to carry them with a stick on the shoulder.






Assuming that each basket weigh ten kilos,it's not an easy task for inexperience people like us to lift the bamboo shoulder pole with baskets of goods.

 It takes them less than one minute to walk a distance of 500 metres.This is something very unique to be seen in Vietnam.

A reminder to tourist,you might be approached by some of these vendors requesting you to buy their product especially banana. If the product doesn't suit you never mind,you are most welcome.

The vendor will then let you try carrying the two basket (about 2kg each) with the conical hat on and help you take photographs.

As you were about to move away,the vendor will request payment for using her facility or buy the goods.

 Just note that if their basket are full of stuffs,they are genuine vendors and not those with very light baskets.





Vietnam is the world’s largest exporter of cashews. According to the figures provided by Viet Nam Cashew Organization (VINACAS), at present, Viet Nam has 380,000 hectare of cashew trees under cultivation, of which 130,000 hectare are new established plantation.

The contribution of this sector to the national economy has been increased gradually as said by the Ministry of Trade of Viet Nam.

However, cashew small scale farmers, especially ethnic one, still get low price for their products and suffer risky conditions due to the fluctuation of cashew nut price.

This study was carried out in Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong provinces, central highland of Viet Nam, which the aim is to understand how specific conditions of households and also the local settings affect to the price of cashew nut.

Why do cashews price fluctuate? If you are a trader of commodity,you should follow the price of corn and soyabean in the United States of America which are correlated.






Mobile garments shoppe using the bicycle.

The hardworking and enterprising Hanoi ladies are something that I admire most.

No wonder most of the Koreans and Taiwanese men find their Vietnamese wife in this part of the country.

The transnational matrimonial business is very lucrative in view of the huge market here.





Live poultry and chicken street vendor.

 The Ga Noi, or Ganoi, is a breed of chicken originating in Vietnam.

Originally used for cockfighting, it is a breed that fits the gamecock type, with an upright body and aggressive temperament.

Ga Noi appear in both a regularly feathered variety and a Naked Neck-like variety.







Blooming flowers vendor usually goes to the Quang Ba wholesale flower market near Au Co Road.

Activities at this market starts as early as 2am daily when villagers came to set up stalls.

The traditional flower villages were situated in the north-eastern part of the West Lake area, the Dom, Ngoc Ha, Nghi Tam, Quang Ba and Nhat Tan villages which were once renowned for their cultivation of peach blossoms, kumquats, roses, sunflowers and chrysanthemums.

Development of properties were slowly transforming the horticulture landscape. Bamboo basket seller.





 Hang Bo Street is famous for a variety of bamboo baskets and bamboo made instruments.











Old lady specializes in changing bicycle tubes. Baguette seller.

Little Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant at Hang Gai Street in Old Quarters area.

The same owner also owned 3 other hostels chain with the same name.

Little Hanoi Hostel at Hang Ga Street with 6 beds mixed dorm from USD6.

Little Hanoi Hostel 1 at No:58 Au Trieu Street aircond rooms from USd35.

 Little Hanoi Hostel 2 at No:32,Le Thai To Street



























Construction worker at work.













Age is no barrier to continue working and be resourceful afterall it's just a number.

Individual health is very important just like this Vietnamese old women who is possibly near to 100 years old.

She looked after her small counter selling Thanh Long brand cigarettes,mail envelopes and canned drinks.


Wedding banquet reception hosted by an ethnic Vietnamese Chinese.

Hoa people (Chinese: 華人; pinyin: Huárén; Cantonese Yale: Wa Yan; Hán Nôm; quốc ngữ: Người Hoa) refers to a minority in Vietnam consisting of persons considered to be ethnic Chinese.

Like much of Southeast Asia, Sino Vietnamese are dominant in both the Vietnamese commerce and business sections.

Many Hoa had their businesses and property confiscated by the Communists after 1975, and many fled the country as Boat People due to persecution by the new Communist.

Some were even forcibly "kicked out" of the country, at a time when Vietnam had serious tensions with China in the late 1970s, and the government feared of the Hoa collaborating with the Chinese communist government.





Wedding day of Huyen Truong and Hai Linh.
The two big chinese character in the middle means Double Happiness (pinyin"Xi or hsi").

The Double Happiness symbol is something that cannot be missed during a Chinese wedding- whether traditional or contemporary set-up.

It is usually printed on the invitation card with the use of golden hot stamps.

The symbol of Double Happiness is a declaration that the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be will be united and spend their lives together happily.

 The intermarriage between the Hoa men and the majority Kinh women ethnic groups is the highest compared to other minorities in Vietnam.

But the Hoa were more likely to intermarry within their own ethnicity, since they "frowned upon inter-marriage with the local Vietnamese.





Teenagers having drinks in a Vietnmese style cafe.















Having noodles at a road side stall.










  Melon sellers.


















Fried tofu(beancurd) hawker.





Women riding scooter making call on handphone.















Chicken seller carrying the chickens to find prospective customers.












Local hybrid chicken.












Peeling cashew nuts skin.
















Sitting on small stools to have noodles beside the road.










  Too lazy to walk.













Very capable girl shop assistant.















A glimpse of olden days Thanh Long people.










  Stacks of tissue paper rolls being transported on a motorbike.








Roadside chicken and pork meat vendor.
































This Vietnamese boy must have completed his tertiary education but prefer to be a vegetables dealer.







Sundry goods vendor.
















Mineral water delivery using motorbike.

La Vie Natural Mineral Water Company or Vie Joint Venture Company is a joint venture between Perrier Vittel - France (65% ownership), a Nestlé company, the worldwide leader company in bottled water and Long An General Trading Company - Vietnam.

 La Vie was first launched in the market in July in 1994 and rapidly developed to become the leading brand in bottled water in Vietnam.





Train overpass at the Forbidden City in Hanoi.

Quang Chuong Street where most of the old communist army uniforms and paraphernalia were sold.




Entrance arch to the Forbidden City.
There were two districts namely Quang Duc and Vinh Xuong in the area which has famous handicraft villages, such as Nghi Tam and Thuy Chuong (textile), Yen Thai (paper making) and Hang Dao (cloth dying).

Monday, April 23, 2012

Hanoi girls dressed in ao dai

Hanoi girls dressed in ao dai at Ly Thai To Park which is directly opposite the State Bank of Vietnam Building.

The áo dài is a Vietnamese national costume,mostly made of silk started to be worn during the 18th century in the judicial court.

The word is pronounced ow zai in the North and ow yai in the South of the country.

During the Tết New Year and many other occasions, Vietnamese men may wear an áo gấm (brocade robe), a version of the ao dai made of thicker fabric.










Slender and long haired Hanoi student girls dressed in light pastel flowery 'ao dai'.

The 1992 films Indochine and The Lover inspired worldwide interest in Vietnamese fashion, with several international fashion houses offering 'ao dai' collections.

In 1995, an 'ao dai' worn by Ms. Truong Quynh Mai was chosen as ‘Best National Costume’ at the Miss International Pageant in Tokyo, triggering an ‘ao dai craze’ that lasted for several years.

 Academic commentary on the ao dai emphasizes the way the dress ties feminine beauty to Vietnamese nationalism, especially in the form of "Miss Ao Dai" pageants, popular both among overseas Vietnamese and in Vietnam itself .
"Ao dai" is one of the few Vietnamese words that appear in English-language dictionaries.






A giant monument of Emperor Ly Thai To was behind this fountain in Ly Thai To Statue and Park.

He was the founder of the Lý D‎ynasty and also the founder of Hanoi City reigning from 1009 to 1028 AD.

In fact the Lý Dynasty ruled Vietnam for 216 years having nine emperors taking the throne.





The State Bank of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Ngân hàng Nhà nước Việt Nam) is the central bank of Vietnam.
 After the fall of Saigon, the two Vietnams were united but not until July 1976 did the two countries’ administrations and institutions unite.

 In July 1976, the National Bank of Vietnam (the central bank of Republic of Vietnam) was merged into the State Bank of Vietnam.

The Vietnamese đồng (VND) has been the currency of Vietnam since May 3, 1978 and was Issued by the State Bank of Vietnam, It is currently ranks as the second least valuable currency in terms of exchange rate.







State Guesthouse is a government guesthouse specifically used for news briefing to foreign dignitaries.














Hanoi Opera building was erected by the French colonial administration between 1901 and 1911.

It was modeled on the Palais Garnier, the older of Paris's two opera houses, and is considered to be one of the architectural landmarks of Hanoi.






The luxurious French colonial styled Hotel Sofitel Legend Metropole located along Ngo Nguyen Street,Hoan Kiem District in Hanoi.











Just married Vietnamese couple.




















Sweet lovely Vietnamese girl.
















Pretty Vietnamese girls in their best outfit,the 'ao dai' with their luxurious silky long hair.

This means that hair saloons and shampoo companies can do a roaring business here in Vietnam.












Cafe Giai Khat at No:23 Le Thanh Tong Street is one traditional Vietnamese restaurant offering authentic local cuisines.








Vietnamese boy after lunch at Cafe Giai Khat.








The National Museum of Vietnamese History (Vietnamese: Viện Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quoc Gia Việt Nam) is located So 1,Trang Tien, the Hoan Kiem district of Hanoi, Vietnam.

 The building used to be the museum of the Far East Research Institute under French colonial rule (École française d'Extrême-Orient EFEO).

Today, it is a museum showcasing Vietnam's history with very large displays covering every period.
It is housed in a colonial French building which was completed in 1932.
The building, designed by the architect Ernest Hébrard, is considered a successful blend of French colonial and traditional Vietnamese architecture, called Indochina architecture.
Hebrard created double walls and balconies for a natural ventilation system and protection from sunshine.

Located at the corner of Tran Khanh Du mainroad with Trang Tien

 Public Bus No 34 stop at Trang Tien while Bus number 03,24,42,43,204,207 and 208 stop at Trang khanh Du.

If you are staying around the Old Quarters,it's just a short distance walk.








Across the road from the National Museum is the Vietnamese Revolution Museum(Bảo tàng Cách mạng Việt Nam) at 25,Tong Dan Road off Tran Quang Khai.

Weekdays opening hours:08:00 -11:30 and 13:30hr -16:15hr.



  Vietcombank headoffice located along Trần Quang Khải, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội.

Also known as The Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Swift:BFTV VNVX),it was established on April 1st, 1963 as a State-owned Commercial Bank.

The State of Vietnam owns 1,199,666,918 shares or 90.72%
General public shareholding consisted of 122,704,534 shares or 9.28%
Total paid up as at financial year ended 31 December 2010 is 1,322,371,452 shares with a par value of 10,000VND per share.

 It was the first commercial bank in Vietnam to deal with foreign currencies and has the largest market share in the interbank forex trading.
Also the largest agent for card payment in Vietnam: for Visa, American Express, MasterCard, and JCB.





 An advertisement by the Kings' Valley Corporation promoting Kings’ Island Golf Club located 36 km. west of Hanoi, and 45 km. from Noi Bai International Airport.

The club is located in the Kings’ Valley on 350 hectares along the shores of Dong Mo Lake where access to the course is by boat.

This golf course was designed by Pacific Coast Design Pty. Ltd. Based in Melbourne, Australia. Pacific Coast has been involved in site planning & golf design for over 18 years and has completed major projects in India, Malaysia, China, Thailand & Australia.

Membership fees starts from 1.760.000.000 VND
Hanoi Office is 5th floor, 18 Ly Thuong Kiet street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi.
Tel/ Fax : 04. 39448690/91, 04.3715.3458/ 3715.3455





BIDV (Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam) Tower, located at No.194 Tran Quang Khai Street in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi is a brand new Grade A office building of 25 levels with 2 basements and 1 mezzanine basement.
The total gross floor area is approximately 35,000 sq m .

This property is being managed by the Savills Group heaquartered in England. Savills Vietnam is the longest running and largest property consultancy in Vietnam, with a continuous presence since 1995 having employed over 750 employees nationwide.