70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day Vietnam - Asia 2023 Smart City Summit Hanoi celebrates 15 years of administrative boundary adjustment 12th Vietnam-France decentrialized cooperation conference 31st Sea Games - Vietnam 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic
Dec 12, 2013 / 10:09

Photos reveal Hanoi a century ago

The Hanoi-based French Culture Centre (L’Espace) has opened its “Hanoi Colour” exhibition, offering a rare glimpse into daily life in the capital 100 years ago.

The French Ile-de region and the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee collaborated on the exhibition.

It showcases 60 colour images taken by French photographer Leon Busy during 1914–1917. They were selected from Busy’s larger 1,500-photo collection.

Hanoi’s French-built Long Bien Bridge

The photos capture everyday Hanoian experiences, religions, trades and crafts, and identities at the beginning of the 20th century.

Ten short films on Vietnam dating from the 1910s will also be screened as part of the exhibition. It will last until January 4, 2014.

Some exhibited photos:
Hoan Kiem (Restored Sword) Lake
The Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university
A Hanoi official’s family portrait taken at what later became the Chinese Embassy