In the 1910s, Northern Vietnam — then called Tonkin under French colonial rule — was a world shaped by rice fields, river trade, and deep-rooted tradition. Photographer Leon Busy documented it all, producing a remarkable visual record of ordinary people living their daily lives.
Opium use was common across French Indochina, and Hanoi’s streets reflected the full range of colonial-era social life. Busy captured both the formal and the informal — from city thoroughfares to private interiors.
Haiphong served as the region’s major port city, connecting Tonkin’s inland markets to wider trade routes. Rivers and canals were the main highways, with sampans and small boats moving goods and people daily.
Local governance was structured through a system of chiefs and mandarins. District chiefs held real administrative power, carrying out imperial directives from the Vietnamese court even under French oversight.
Traditional clothing was practical and regionally distinct. The conical hat — the nón lá — was worn across all social classes, shielding farmers and market-goers alike from the sun and monsoon rains.
Markets were the beating heart of economic and social life. Vendors sold everything from bananas and rice to handicrafts and silk, and a trip to market was as much about news and conversation as commerce.
Industrial labor also had a foothold in the region. Copper mines operated under French colonial enterprise, drawing workers into structured, extractive labor that contrasted sharply with the agrarian life of most villages.
In highland border villages near China, life looked markedly different from the lowland delta. Communities like Na-Cham maintained their own distinct customs, dress, and ways of organizing daily work.
Village chiefs were central figures in community life, mediating disputes and organizing local affairs. The water pipe was a common fixture of social gatherings, shared among elders during meetings and ceremonies.
Festivals offered a break from hard labor. One striking tradition involved young girls serving as living chess pieces in human chess matches — a ceremonial game played during village celebrations.
Children’s festivals featured stalls selling tin toys — simple, inexpensive, and treasured. These seasonal markets gave families a rare chance to buy small gifts for their children.
Colonial authority in Tonkin rested with the French-appointed Governor, whose household blended Western administrative structure with the local social fabric of the region.
The Paul Doumer Bridge over the Red River was a symbol of French colonial infrastructure. Sampans and river boats moved beneath it daily, connecting Hanoi’s neighborhoods to the broader delta network.
Traditional Vietnamese theater thrived in Hanoi’s cultural life. Actors and actresses performed classical roles in elaborate costumes, keeping oral history and storytelling alive for village and city audiences alike.
Mandarins — both civil and military — formed the upper tier of Vietnamese administration. On formal occasions, they wore elaborate ceremonial dress that signaled their rank and authority within the imperial system.
Hanoi’s specialized trade streets, like Tinsmiths’ Street, organized craftsmen by their trade — a system that dated back centuries. Skilled workers hammered, cut, and shaped metal goods for buyers across the city.
