Bye Bye, Barbers
Hanoi’s iconic news source Timeout reported in March that the city’s street-side barbers will soon be a thing of the past as authorities continue their efforts to clean up the streets. Roaming vendors of all sorts are feeling the pinch, and many are likely to be left behind as the city modernizes at warp speed. Also rapidly disappearing are Hanoi’s famous wet markets, replaced by multi-storey shopping plazas. Not to mention the decrepit but beautiful French villas, another one ingloriously knocked down seemingly every day. There is now a KFC on the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake, and rumours of a McDonald’s not far behind. Is Hanoi, known for its “old city” charm and street life, quickly becoming just another faceless sprawl?
oh no no NOOO! Maccas in Vietnam? in Hanoi right next to Hoan Kiem lake? KFC’s bad enough!
Modernisation is inevitable but why is it so sad?
Julian, thanks for your beautiful photos, by the way.
Amy
Julian oi,
I’ve been stalking your site. Great pics and interesting commentary too. Now to hit you up with a request for a favor–any chance you could add in a link to the blog of Thien Nhan, a VN tot who was abandonned at birth and mauled by a wild animal? A great VN friend of mine has adopted him and I’m in charge of PR/fundraising… It’s at http://help-thien-nhan.blogspot.com/
Thanks,
Elka
The beginning of the end was a long time ago, probably coinciding with the arrival of the Wall’s icecream song.
The arrival of the Big Mac will be the end of the end.