Small Business on the Streets of Hanoi

Walking along the narrow, congested streets of Hanoi, one finds simple ways of commerce. In this photo, a local locksmith has set up his wares on a street corner, waiting patiently off camera for the next customer. His tools include a clamp and files, and many blank keys, all ready for a quick sale and departure at the end of the day.

In this non touristed area of the city, the blocks are seemingly grouped by like-merchants. There were series of stores selling plastic chairs, artificial flowers, lamps, bicycles and helmets. It seems like every available building frontage had one commercial purpose or another...cafes, seamstresses and many generations of residents are their proprietors. Add to this the incessant beeping of motor scooter horns, the sidewalks crowded with motorcycles and broken pavement, the smells of various cooking and you have all the ingredients to fill five senses.

K