A Hanoi to Remember through the lens of Le Bich, Andy Soloman

A Hanoi to Remember, an exhibition by photographers Andy Soloman and Le Bich, opened in Hanoi on 10 October, offering unique perspectives on the capital through a collection of 86 black and white photographs taken between 1992 and 2012.

These unique photographs capture the lives of Hanoi's citizens as the city began to transform during the period of Doi Moi (renewal), or economic renovation. The beautiful images offer viewers a nostalgic and emotional look back at life in the city and how it has developed and changed.

The opening ceremony was attended by the heads of the Hoan Kiem Lake Management Board and the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Photo: An Thanh Dat

Reflecting on his feelings for Hanoi since he first arrived 32 years ago, British photographer Andy Soloman said: "I fell in love with Hanoi and its people from the moment I arrived in 1992. Wherever I went, I was greeted with incredible kindness and hospitality, and when I look back on my photographs from that time, I see them as an important record of life in the city. I hope that the people of Hanoi who visit the exhibition will enjoy them as much as I did and that they will evoke strong memories and emotions."

Andy Soloman hoped to find some of the people in these photos as it would be wonderful to meet them, hear their stories and photograph them again.

Le Bich, a long-time Hanoi observer and photographer, added: "Hanoi has changed a lot, but I don't allow myself to forget its old beauty, the essence of Hanoi. Over time, I have created a series of photographs that capture the beauty, essence and identity of Hanoi. I hope they will be like a low note in Hanoi's song, like an afternoon sunbeam illuminating the ancient gates of temples faded by time, or a golden chrysanthemum in a lakeside garden in autumn, so that we can love Hanoi more and appreciate what we have today".

Visitors have a chance to have a look at Hanoi in the old days. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

The exhibition is co-organized by the Hoan Kiem District People's Committee and the Management Board of Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Hanoi.

It will run until October 31 at Villa 49 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. A seminar will be held by the photographers on October 12 to discuss the photographs and the stories behind them.

Andy Soloman (1962) is a British photographer who first arrived in Hanoi in October 1992, lived in the city for seven years, and returned frequently in the years that followed. His cameras captured a city and its people on the cusp of profound change as the policy of economic renovation, or Doi Moi, took hold.

Lê Bích (1972) is a Hanoi-born, award-winning photographer with a particular passion for the arts, traditions, and cultures of Vietnam. He has exhibited extensively in Hanoi, most recently at the Vietnam Women's Museum in 2024 under the title Mother's Love.

A photo by Le Bich.

A photo by Andy Soloman.