Urs Zihlmann

The trains pass through downtown, merely inches away from the doorsteps of buildings.

It might not be a big surprise that locals from Hanoi are using every single square meter, but the way how they use the train tracks in front of their houses is quiet stunning. The train tracks really became an additional space for living. There are people cooking, eating, playing or washing dishes right on the railway. A man burnt his daily waste just before the train passed through. Chickens were running around, and Children were playing and had great fun jumping from one track to the other.

Before the train approaches, people have to move their stuff out of the way. Especially bikes are standing very close to the tracks, as well as clothes and chairs. The train was honking a couple of times before it approached.

The doors of these people's homes are usually open and so you get quite a good impression of how they live. It felt kind of strange to me standing there, because next to the tracks is actually the place where they live. I saw people who had to cross the tracks to get to their bathroom.