The Rails of Hanoi/Un Rail d’Hanoi

In Hanoi, the train tracks meander through the city. Sometimes they appear as indents in the middle of a major street - motorbikes clot on either side of the rails when a train passes - but in other areas the tracks are concealed between rows of houses. For the people who live in these houses, the train tracks are their front yard. To them, “don’t play on the tracks” would be synonymous with “never leave your house.”

Francis Roux is a photographer who has lived in Hanoi for several months. On his first trip to the city he happened upon a stretch of track lined with houses and people who could reach out a window and nearly touch the train as it passed. “I was amazed. I immediately wanted to come back with someone who could translate for me and speak with these people and take photographs of where they lived.”

These photographs are the result of several days spent walking the tracks along with a friend who spoke French and Vietnamese and acted as translator. You can see more of Francis’ work at his website, Oeil de Mars.

Click on the thumbnails below to see larger images and read Francis’ thoughts on the people and places he encountered.