Through the mirror of my mind.

From North to South, Glimpses of Street Life in Vietnam in the Early 1990s

Tuesday, 11 October 2022. Written by Saigoneer. Photos courtesy of Laurent KB

Starting this September, Hôtel des Arts is undertaking a number of initiatives to celebrate Vietnam’s architectural and cultural heritage. One such effort is the Digital Exhibition: A Journey through Saigon’s Timeless Heritage which places links to Saigoneer Heritage section articles throughout the hotel so guests can enjoy in-depth explorations of topics that the boutique hotel believes are worthy of preservation.If there’s a thing this writer remembers distinctly about the early 1990s, it would be nothing, because I was barely a person that could eat and survive by myself.

Which makes these photos taken from 1992 to 1994 all the more fascinating because they are a hodgepodge of the familiar and the strange. I can identify all the species present in the neatly arranged pyramids of fresh fruits; I recognize the shiny and hyper-ruffled wedding gown because my sisters got married in one of those; I can read the names of the deceased inscribed on tombstones — and yet, it feels strangely voyeuristic and surreal to marvel at these images, to transiently set foot in someone’s memories, because I’ve never lived these moments.

The shots are part of a collection of travel images taken by Flickr user Laurent KB, a French tourist who traveled across Vietnam in the early 1990s. Their subject matters are nothing new, but they are valuable as reminders of a crucial time, both for the one who photographs and the ones who were photographed, we can’t get back.

Morning on Hạ Long Bay with freshly caught seafood.

The chaos of a wet market.

Spices and condiments.

A banana xích lô in Hanoi.

Tropical fruits at a market.

Rice varieties and beans.

Children frolic at a neighborhood playground.

Jet fighter-themed twister hits different.

A fishy xích lô.

A new bride on her wedding day.

A man in Hạ Long ferries coral clusters.

In you I put
All my hope and trust

Rushing to work.

Sun-drenched Hạ Long.

Right before my eyes
My whole world has turned to dust

Patterns and fabrics of the 1990s.

Ready to spice up broths and dipping sauces.

Sugar vendors at a market.

A sugar shop in Đà Lạt.

Floating on emerald.

A small hamlet on the water’s surface.

Setting sail.

The rocky central coast.

Thiên Mụ Pagoda in Huế.

Artisans working on a Nguyễn-Dynasty urn.

I keep holding on
To those happy times

Smile! You’re on camera.

Peppa what chu doin’?

Đà Nẵng’s morning fish market.

A family on their houseboat.

Drying fish in Hạ Long.

Ha Long Bay is one of the wonders of the modern world, over 2000 limestone Karsts rise vertically from it’s warm tropical waters. The largest inhabited island is Cat Ba island which is home to a rare and endangered Lemur monkey that’s only found on the island. There are whole floating villages where the occupants rarely step on land.

Coal mining in Quảng Ninh.

The vast nature of Điện Biên Phủ.

Dien Bien Phu was the site of a globally pivotal battle in 1954 when the communist forces of Ho Chi Minh / Geberal Giap Vo defeated the French. The first time in modern history a nationalist force defeated a colonial power. The French left and guess who came in – Yes the good old USA.

Xóm Bóng Bridge in Nha Trang.

Ladies mending a fishing net.

Riverine merchants in Cần Thơ.

 I’m all alone now
No love to shield me

A lady manning a stall selling utensils made of coconut husk.

Trapped in a world
That’s a distorted reality

Workers at a brick kiln.

An old Hanoian artist does sketches.

A busy market in Hanoi.

 Reflections of
The way life used to be

If Hungary / Victor Orban doesn’t like what Europe are doing – Leave the EU.     

If the population of Eastern Ukraine like Russia so much, go and live in Russia.

If the people of Israel want to live in peace go into Gaza / the West Bank with aid/ food/doctors/ hospitals /food/water / love and kindness, not bombs and death. There would be no need or reason for Hamas.

Russia is the largest country in the world. Why does Putin want ‘a bit more?’ When was the last time you bought something that said ‘Made in Russia’. The individual GDP’s of three American states – New York/ Texas/ California exceed the GDP of Russia.

Love and peace John.