There were no cars . Only trains . There were no buildings . Only some 1 or 2 floor house.

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The city itself was a blend of old and new. French colonial architecture, like the Hanoi Opera House, stood alongside traditional Vietnamese homes in the Old Quarter. Daily life was modest—bicycles and rickshaws were common, and street food like pho and banh mi filled the markets.

Economically, the country was recovering from war, so poverty was widespread, and resources were limited. Social life was shaped by a mix of traditional culture and growing communist propaganda, with art and literature pushing revolutionary themes.

Hanoi was transforming, with a focus on creating a socialist state, but it still held on to its deep cultural heritage.

The city’s economy is booming, driven by tech industries, tourism, and startups. Young professionals dominate the social scene, but traditional festivals and family values remain central to life.

Hanoi faces challenges like traffic congestion, pollution, and income inequality. However, improvements in public transport, including new metro lines, and green initiatives aim to address these issues, while the city continues to grow as a cultural and economic hub.

In terms of economics, resources were limited. As a result, many families lived in heavy poverty. Art and literature have pushed revolutionary themes with social life being shaped by a mix of growing communist propaganda and also traditional culture.

Nowadays, Hanoi has grown to be a much more vibrant and modern city, blending lively growth and rich heritage. Iconic landmarks like the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Hoan Kiem Lake and traditional areas like the Old Quarter stand alongside skyscrapers and modern malls.

Driven by tech industries, startups, and tourism, the city's economy is blooming. Traditional big families still become central to life although young professionals are dominating the social scheme. Facing problems like pollution, traffic congestion, and housing expenses, Hanoi has improved public transport and introduced new metro lines. This stabilized the city a lot. Aiming to address these heavy issues, Hanoi remains and continues to grow as a cultural and economic hub today.

At that time, local reserves were being drafted by the French to fight the war in Europe, the subject of which was portrayed in the award-winning film "Cong Binh - The Lost Fighters of Vietnam" by French-Vietnamese director Le Lam. 

With France occupied by the war, Indochina became effectively more independent in terms of administrative operations. But the Japanese, who were seeking to enforce a deal with the Vichy French colonial administration to facilitate economic expansion in the region and to block off the American aid passing through China, made sure that these conditions were executed. 

The Vichy French were at a crossroads, and the only possible means to avoid an attack against Indochina was to let the Japanese do what they wanted. According to "Hanoi: Biography of a City" by William Logan, French troops in Indochina at the time were outnumbered by the Japanese, and if war broke out they would have to fight on two fronts: the Gulf of Indochina and the Chinese border. Great Britain and the United States did not particularly want to get involved, even though they were also opposed to the Japanese occupation. 

And so the first Japanese inspection team arrived in Hanoi in June 1940, followed by its navy, army and air force three months later. They remained in Indochina for five years, until the end of World War II. 

Under the Japanese - Vichy French pact, Japan could continue its military operations but it still allowed the Vichy French to administer Indochina. As a result, the former had little influence on Hanoi's environment, administratively and structurally speaking. And as such, urban development was left to the French colonial authorities. 

The following photos were captured by American photographer Harrison Forman, who was a foreign correspondent for the New York Times and National Geographic at the time. 

The streets also dirty to. It only has some people walk or with cart. It is not modal. Look more diffrence than today