Tinh Gia Market Road

Cycles, motorbikes and hand cart on the main shopping street.

Tĩnh Gia's main shopping street in its normal, soothingly busy, mode Motorbike with trailer attached outside homeware shop.

Motorbike delivery The main shopping street in Tĩnh Gia
runs from the cross roads on the AH1, see
last page, right out of the town and eventually
on to a station, three kilometres distant, where no
trains stop. It bears the name Nguyễn Văn Trỗi, (a
young Viet Cong member who attempted to shot the
American Secretary of defence). The road forms one
boundary of the large market, as shown on previous pages,
and is home to the busiest shops, and numerous street traders. Motorcyclist talking to woman with washing machine on the back of his bike.

Motorcyclist talking to woman with washing machine on the back of his bike.

Washing Machine delivery The road with few people near.

Calm times are the norm with the pace of life seen in these pictures...

Another shot of the street at a quiet time further out of the town.

...when bicycles still often dominate View of street packed with people and vehicles.

From the same spot, but towards Tết it can get busy

Cross roads further out of town with people standing by corners.

Moving out from the town centre the road... The road where the shops have stopped and trees take over.

...soon becomes rural Sort of double figure with womans hat on one side walking away down the road.

Maybe you do not instantly see this as one person walking away from you. And I A hard to distinguish bundle by the edge of the road.

Two men working a cutting machine on a gap site.

These men are working on one of the gap sites along the road. The rods are the reinforcement for reinforced concrete which have to be cut down to size on site. An example of a shuttered concrete pillar using these was seen on the Hân's House page wonder if you saw the picture on the last page showing the same man - Tền - sitting by the roadside. Part of that picture is repeated above. For very many years Tền wandered Tĩnh Gia like this. Happily recently a very public spirited citizen has provided him with a home and maintenance Clothes shop with man standing ourside and another squatting on a table laying out shirts.

Clothes shop with man standing ourside and another squatting on a table laying out shirts.

A clothes shop, literally 'trousers shirts' (Quần Áo), with a man squatting (Vietnamese style) arranging shirts. The phone numbers on the wall are usually for plasterers A lane running off the road with a corner shop stacked high with goods outside.

A lane running off the road with a corner shop stacked high with goods outside.

Lanes like this, with housing, run from the road; corner shops cater for the near-by residents Side entrance to the market with man moving a motorcycle into a line.

Side entrance to the market with man moving a motorcycle into a line.

A side entrance from the road to the market, with motor-bike park. This guy keeps the bikes in order Man squatting next to boy watching woman mix cement.

Man squatting next to boy watching woman mix cement.

Behind the bike this woman mixes cement - the 'men' watch Man squatting repairing bicycle.

Many shops are devoted to cycle and motor-bike repairs Woman holding pannier stick with the two baskets of greens on the ground, a customer looks at these.

Woman holding pannier stick with the two baskets of greens on the ground, a customer looks at these.

Much selling does not involve shops. Along the road vegetables, fruit and clothes are hawked The woman of the last picture in the context of the street.

The woman of the last picture in the context of the street.

Panniers make carrying the weight easier, but many... A woman with bags on a street corner, a customer looking on.

...vendors simply put their goods in ordinary bags A man sits at the roadside on a tarpaulin beside two children who are playing cards behind a pile of padded winter jackets.

A man sits at the roadside on a tarpaulin beside two children who are playing cards behind a pile of padded winter jackets.

Here a man has agreed to use the area in front of a shop to sell the heavy padded coats needed in winter... A woman with her goods in a line and the feet of three customers in front of her.

A woman with her goods in a line and the feet of three customers in front of her.

...and this woman has laid out a line of items for customers to inspect - a pop-up shop Two women stand holding hens by their legs, their motorbikes with cages behind them, talking to two potential women customers.

Two women stand holding hens by their legs, their motorbikes with cages behind them, talking to two potential women customers.

Yet another way of selling is to cruise round on motor-bikes, like these two woman, stopping and offering wares. Here the produce are hens, these are traded live, as the Vietnamese are very particular about the freshness of their food - it is a tropical country Three young men sit at the entrance to a barbers shop.

Three young men sit at the entrance to a barbers shop.

Barbers' shops are even commoner than in the UK. The full heads
of hair of both sexes are kept in perfect order A girl standing behind a cabinet of cakes.

A girl standing behind a cabinet of cakes.

Bakers' ovens occupy ground floors; in front cabinets display their produce The Vietnamese are always friendly and welcoming; traders especially so - you are a potential customer! A woman sitting with an infant on her lap who looks at the photographer.

A woman sitting with an infant on her lap who looks at the photographer.

Giant bearded westerners are valuable for easily distracting infants A man sits at the entrance to a hairdresser beside a cabinet of soft drinks.

A man sits at the entrance to a hairdresser beside a cabinet of soft drinks.

Hairdressing can offer an opportunity to start a business with minimal outlay. Here supplemented by a cabinet of drinks A mother links arms with her much taller son behind a cabinet of cakes.

A mother links arms with her much taller son behind a cabinet of cakes.

Family businesses are the norm. Although the majority of young people, from towns like Tĩnh Gia, will migrate to Hà Nội or other cities, not least for university courses
- a third of the population goes to university line

Trailers...

The next page of this section will take you to the key institution on the road shown above - Ba Hai's Beer Bar - my local, when in Tĩnh Gia

The next page of the Mosaic Section is headed 'Wild Lands'.
Or go to the of the Mosaic Section. line

Tĩnh Gia - The Main Shopping Street