The unusual passage of a train in the heart of Hanoi
The Old Quarter of the Capital of Vietnam, Hanoi , is a lively neighborhood of small narrow streets lined with hundreds of buildings with charming colonial architecture, Buddhist temples and pagodas all piled up next to each other. As its name indicates, it is the oldest part of the city and has long been an important economic centre. The old streets of the centre were built only on two floors maximum as a result of the restrictions imposed by the government. In this way, the city has spread horizontally. In some streets of the Old Quarter of Hanoi, the door bearings of the houses are dangerously on the edge of the railway line that crosses the neighborhood on its way to the Long bridge .
Flickr – PJR Photography
The track is so close to the houses that the locomotives, which pass twice a day, almost touch the pedestrians and children playing in the street. The premises know exactly when the train approached and released the track and even disassembled their stalls upon arrival. For them, It's part of their routine . For example, old men sit on the rails all day to talk, and as soon as the train approaches, they rise, move their chairs a meter further and continue to discuss while the train passes in front of them. It’s a bit the effect of a turtle that goes back into its shell when it’s scared.
Flickr – PJR Photography
If you have the opportunity to pass by Hanoi during your trip to Vietnam , you can realize that nothing seems to disturb the habits and life of the inhabitants on the edge of this path, nor even the train that passes there. When you walk around the way, people smile and even suggest you come and sit with them. However, we still wonder how many people perished or robbed death here.
Flickr – Wayne Duncan
This is urban phenomenon is not without recalling the Maeklong Railway Market in Thailand, which has a similar provision. But unlike Hanoi, where people live on the edge of the path, the Maeklong market is located in the middle of the rails. When approaching the train, the vendors pick up their stalls and everything on the track. Once the train left, they put everything in place including the blinds, and everything comes back to normal as if nothing had happened!
Flickr – Ashit Desai
Flickr – Ashit Desai
Flickr – Ashit Desai
Flickr – Ashit Desai
Flickr – Ashit Desai
Flickr – loose_grip_99
Did you know the existence of this train in Hanoi?
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