Public buses in downtown Hanoi

Clifford, Geoffrey; Balaban, John, 1943-

Two vintage public buses with rounded edges and pale green and white paint are parked side-by-side behind a large, thick tree trunk and a dense field of yellow wildflowers. The bus on the left shows a horizontal blue stripe along its side, while the bus on the right features a green stripe. License plates are visible on the front of both vehicles: the left bus displays "29B 01-64" and the right bus displays "29D-47-". The buses appear aged with some rust and weathered paint. A thin green utility pole stands to the right of the buses, and the background is dark and shadowed, suggesting a building or dense foliage behind the vehicles.

Title

Public buses in downtown Hanoi

Creator

Clifford, Geoffrey, Photographer
Balaban, John, 1943-, Collaborator

Variant Title

These old buses, with their antique charm, are now parked and forgotten, as Vietnam modernizes its infrastructure and trades freely with the West. The United States lifted its trade embargo with Vietnam in 1994. A bilateral agreement, signed in 2000, further opened up trade between the United States and Vietnam.

Published

1985

Full Collection Name

Vietnam: Journey of the Heart 1985-2000

Other Identifiers

BANC PIC 2007.056:22

Geographic Coverage

Vietnam. Pictorial works.
Vietnam--Social life and customs. Pictorial works

Type

Image

Extent

1 photographic print (framed); ca. 24 x 36 inches (unframed)

Other Physical Details

Color photograph

Archive

The Bancroft Library

Note

Caption text by John Balaban
Part of: Vietnam: Journey of the heart
C-print

Provenance

Originally donated to the South/Southeast Asia Library, and transferred to The Bancroft Library.

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Linked Resources

View collection guide

Collection

Vietnam Photos

Source of Description

Image description generated by AI (Gemini 3.0 Fast) and reviewed, January 2026 .