In Vietnam, the motorbike is more than just a means of transport—it’s a lifeline for people and goods alike, ferrying everything imaginable, and often unimaginable, through city streets and winding rural roads.
Bikes of Burden by Hans Kemp captures this extraordinary reality in 182 vivid, full-color photographs. It is a photographic journey through modern-day Vietnam—quirky, colorful, and deeply human. The motorbikes, their fearless riders, and gravity-defying cargo tell a street-level story of a nation constantly on the move.
When Hans Kemp first began photographing Vietnam’s legendary load-carrying motorbikes, he had little idea of the exhilarating ride that lay ahead.
The resulting series of 146 photographs was first published in 2003 as a hardcover coffee-table book of the same name. It struck a deep chord with locals and travelers alike. Even those who had never set foot in Vietnam were captivated by the bold grace and daring balance of these everyday heroes.
Bikes of Burden has since sold over 100,000 copies worldwide—and counting. Alongside the original English edition, translations in German, French, and Japanese brought the book to readers across the globe.
In 2005, the book was even referenced in a keynote speech on U.S.–Vietnam trade relations by Senator Max Baucus, who called it “a vision of a country on the go,” recommending it as essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary Vietnam.
“This surely is not the vision of Vietnam Yesterday. Instead, this book captures the vision of Vietnam Today. A vision of commerce everywhere you look. A vision of 80 million vendors and consumers buying and selling something on every corner of every street of every city,” said Senator Max Baucus.
In 2007, Bikes of Burden was featured in the Asian Art Biennial at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. The museum later acquired 12 large prints for its permanent collection.
In 2011, a new edition was released—expanded and updated with 36 recent photographs, reaffirming that motorbikes remain a vital force in Vietnam’s economy.
Hans Kemp reflected in the foreword to the first edition: “Eventually bikes will disappear as the favorite mode of transport.... Roads will be widened, cars will become more available and the world will appear through a window. Now, in 2021, much of that has come true, though certainly not to the extent that I feared and a Vietnam without motorbikes is as unthinkable as France without baguettes.”