Vietnam: Filling beer glasses at a bia hoi ('fresh beer') pavement bar, Hanoi

Bia hoi, or ‘fresh beer’ is a Vietnamese institution. The concept was first introduced by the Czechs but now beloved of beer-drinkers all over the country. Beer without preservatives is delivered fresh daily in small tanker-trucks. Bia hoi establishments are usually very basic.

The streets of the capital, Hanoi, and especially the largest city, Ho Chi Minh City bustle with enthusiasm and business energy. The abandonment of socialist economics and its gradual replacement by limited market-oriented capitalism has been welcomed by the populace. People everywhere are angling to make money, and the streets are filled with small-scale private enterprises selling all manner of items.

Copyright:

CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Photographer:

David Henley

Credit:

Pictures From Asia