The people of Hanoi have long stopped hearing the familiar sound of streetcars bustling around the city center. The streetcars that once filled the streets have become fond memories for many generations of Hanoi residents.
A streetcar from CTEH running on the number 1 railway line at Place des Cocotiers.
A streetcar from CTEH running on the number 1 tramway line passing by Petit Lac.
A streetcar from CTEH running on the number 1 tramway line in Ha Dong.
A streetcar from CTEH running on the number 3 tramway line at Place Neyret.
A streetcar from the number 1 tramway line in Hanoi (produced in 1929) heading south along Hang Bai towards the Bach Mai area in 1960.
An image of a streetcar from the number 2 tramway line in Hanoi during the 1980s.
The line “The Westerners sit and think, / Born to the streetcars running around the neighborhoods” has become a familiar memory for those who have been connected to the land of Hanoi for many years. Today, the sight of three-car streetcars running around Hanoi is long gone, but a century ago, these streetcars were among the most modern public transport in the capital.
The streetcar lines radiated from Hoan Kiem Lake to the city gates, extending all the way to Ha Dong. This photo captures a streetcar passing through Dong Xuan Market after 1975. By the early 1990s, streetcars were officially retired.
Streetcars were a popular means of public transport for all classes in Hanoi during the 20th century. In May 1900, the French officially built the Hanoi streetcar factory and laid the tracks. Streetcars were closely associated with the land of Trang An until the end of the 20th century.
Each streetcar had two or three cars, with the front car divided into first-class and second-class tickets. First-class had cushioned seats facing forward, while second-class had hard, longitudinal seats. Goods were stored under the seats, and baskets and goods were hung outside the last car.
Today, the image of streetcars with their familiar clanging sound is now vivid only in the memories of those over seventy years old in Hanoi. The streetcars tirelessly created the image of the urban landscape of Thang Long for over two-thirds of a century.
Now, the younger generation can only imagine the once-glorious heritage of the capital through photos, songs, and poems. Photographer Thomas Billhardt captured valuable archival images of Hanoi and its old transportation in the 1970s.
Streets like Quan Thanh, Kim Ma, Dinh Tien Hoang, Nguyen Khuyen… where streetcars once ran, now show no trace of the unique transport that once was. Instead, the streets are filled with all kinds of vehicles, both private and public.
In modern times, many new types of transportation have emerged, and few remember or mention the old streetcars. Many streets that the streetcars once traversed are now historical streets, and long-time residents of Thang Long only nostalgically remember the sound of “the streetcar clanging morning and night” in their memories.
