Vietnam October 2009
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He just looks like Zbigniew Brzezinzki. Actually he's a T-shirt vendor in Hanoi
VietnamOctober2009HanoiHanoi T shirt vendorHanoi tee shirt vendorZbigniew Brzezinzki
In Hanoi, sidewalks are more for displaying wares than for walking.
VietnamOctober2009HanoiHanoi old cityHanoi sidewalksHanoi strret life
Blacksmiths at work on the sidewalk.
VietnamOctober2009HanoiHanoi sidewalk blacksmithsblacksmiths
On the night train from Hanoi to Lao Cai in the northwest near the China border.
In Phong Hai, enroute from Lao Cai to Bac Ha, with a Flower Hmong lady.
Flower Hmong lady, close up.
Flower Hmong mother and daughter. The Hmong people emigrated from China to the hills of northern Vietnam in the 18th and 19th century, after oppression from the Han Chinese and are divided into Flower, Red, Black, White and Green Hmong - distinguished by the clothing the women wear. They all speak Hmong.
Kitchen of a Flower Hmong farm family's home. The large cooking area and the white jugs indicate they follow the common Hmong practice of brewing corn liquor to sell.
The living room, with television, and crop storage area. The beds are behind the furniture and to the left behind the hanging cloth. Electricity and piped water (some piped inside the home, some outside) seemed to be present in every rural home, television in most. Everyone had a school within reasonable walking distance, health centers seemed to be plentiful, and the one we visited was well stocked and staffed by MDs. Almost every family seemed to have a motorbike. Yes, that is a dirt floor. The one complaint we heard a number of times was about corrupt government officials.
VietnamVietnam farh houseVietnam hill tribe farmnorth Vietnam farm
The Flower Hmong family who owned the home.
Everyone works.
Flower Hmong mother and child. Almost all families raise hogs.
Flower Hmong leveling a hillside preparatory to building a house. With the Flower and Red Hmong, only the females dress in traditional clothes. Many of the Black Hmong men wear black clothing, as, of course, do the women.
Using the water buffalo to help level the site.
Grinding wheel - used mostly to grind corn for hogs, as rice is the staple.
Father smoking a waterpipe.
Flower Hmong lady selling hot peppers at the Can Cau market
Flower Hmong at Can Cau market.
Some Flower Hmong women appeared to shave the hair from the top of their foreheads.
VietnamFlower Hmong Can CauFlower Hmong dressesFlower Hmong ladies
Among Hmong women large earrings denote a married woman, small, unmarried.
At the water buffalo section of the Can Cau market. In north Vietnam all rice culture plowing is done with water buffalo.
At the Can Cau market
Portrait at the Can Cau market
Admiring dress material at the Can Cau market
A farm adjacent to the Can Cau market. One can see where the rice straw was burned. The TV dish is at the upper left roof line.
At the Can Cau market
A woman of the Tay ethnic group at the Can Cau market.
At the Can Cau market. Her large ear rings specify a married woman
At the Can Cau market
VietnamCan CauFlower HmongFlower Hmong VietnamFlowetr Hmong Can Cau
Can Cau market.
At the Can Cau market
Selling chilies at the Bac Ha market.
Dogs are not sold to be pets.
Pho stall at Bac Ha.
At the Bac Ha market
Try-before-you-buy tobacco at the Bac Ha market. Water pipes are very common in rural areas.
VietnamOctober2009Bac HaTobacco VietnamVietnam water pipeswater pipes
Selling and "catching up" at the Bac Ha market
Selling corn liquor in Bac Ha.
VietnamFlower Hmongcorn liquorcorn liquor Bac Hacorn liquor Vietnam
