The Top of the Lake

Since the pandemic, the north point of Ho Tay (Westlake) in Hanoi has taken on a post-apocalyptic feel. Some years ago, the government stopped all the floating restaurants and pleasure boats operating as they were polluting the water. They are now tied up and rusting at the top of the lake near the water park which has also succumbed to neglect and has not seen a soul for over a year. Near the boats the large flower gardens had their annual themed planting interrupted by the frequent lockdowns and is in a permanent state of flux leaving items of unfinished sculpture awaiting the planting of the blooms. This a strange place where you can almost feel the transition between the now distant bombed city of the 'American War' and the modern burgeoning capital of Vietnam. The images are intended to give a sense of this change as although they concentrate on the past they also reveal new buildings, cranes and the modern Hanoi emerging in the background. The rush to progress has resulted in an exiting and busy but extremely polluted city which has only temporarily slowed down for the pandemic. This has meant some clearer skies during this hiatus but it is likely that it will take many years of change before the air is considered genuinely safe and the city’s biggest lake is devoid of pollutants.