If one vehicle could define modern Vietnam, it is undoubtedly the motorbike. Up and down the country, tens of millions of people rely on motorbikes every day as their primary means of transport.
From hauling goods to and from markets to carrying entire families and food stalls, motorbikes are the lifeblood of Vietnam. But as little as 40 years ago, the streets of HCMC and Hanoi were home to a different kind of two wheeler.
A Foreign Marvel
The humble bicycle is one of the most important pieces of technology ever introduced to Vietnam. Invented in Europe in the 1820s, they were brought over by the French during their conquest of the region in the 1880s. Initially, they were expensive and hyper-rare, and reserved exclusively to the colonial elite.
As the colony turned into an economic powerhouse, they became more available, despite remaining expensive. A bicycle in 1940 sold for around 300 piastres, the equivalent of over 2000 USD in today’s money. During this time, they were seen as a status symbol and the few Vietnamese locals who could afford them took great pride in their possession.
After WWII, as global trade resumed, prices were lowered significantly. Bicycles became popular amongst office workers and students of the Chasseloup-Laubat (THPT Le Quy Don), Marie Curie, and Taberd (now part of the Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted) schools.
The Two-Wheeled Revolution
In the North, bicycles played a vital role in allowing villagers in the mountainous regions to ferry goods to and from regional cities. During the Anti-French Resistance War, modified bicycles played a vital role in hauling supplies and light artillery pieces to the front lines, and helped in large part win the pivotal battle of Dien Ben Phu.
Following the Liberation of the North and the start of the American War, bicycles became a crucial part of the supply lines running down the Ho Chi Minh trail to sustain the war effort in the South.
The mountainous jungle terrain of the Trail, need for stealth as well as the costs made it impossible to reliably use motorized transport. Bicycles became so useful that US Senator William Fullbright famously asked during a Senate hearing: “Why don’t we concentrate on bombing their bicycles instead of the bridges?”
The bikes used by Vietnamese were reinforced and fitted with driving rods to be able to haul heavier loads. On average, these “steel horses” would ferry loads of 200kg, with a few bikes setting records of 420kg.
During the war, the popularity of bicycles waned in the South as cheaply made imported motorbikes became increasingly available. Bicycles nonetheless remained a staple, with every household owning at least one. In the North, they were the principal means of transport for everyday people.
Motorization
After Reunification, the centrally-planned Vietnamese economy began producing massive quantities of bicycles. Combined with a sharp increase in the price of fuel, bicycles once again took over the streets of Ho Chi Minh City.
This lasted until the early 1990s; following the Doi Moi reforms, Japanese-made motorcycle brands like Honda and Yamaha became readily available. While motorcycles were around in Vietnam prior to this point, they were mainly heavy-duty military and offroad bikes like the Soviet-made Minsk.
Vietnam’s accelerated economic development led to motorcycles becoming affordable to everyone. Today, motorcycles are the dominant mode of transportation across the country, being used for everything from commuting to work to carrying pigs to market.
From the paddies of the South to the mountains of the Center and valleys of the North, two wheels and a 125cc engine provide power to the fastest growing economy in Asia.