It will come as a surprise to no one that Ha Long Bay was much quieter in the 1950s than it is today.
Thanks to the country’s ever-growing tourism industry, Ha Long is now filled with scores of white wooden boats plying the waters around its more famous caves.
However, the following shots, taken by Raymond Cauchetier in the early 1950s, capture exactly what was so enthralling about Ha Long in the first place. The French photographer, best known in Europe for his candid photos of New Wave film sets, got his start in the French Air Force as part of its Indochina press corps, according to the British Journal of Photography.
When he returned home, Cauchetier began hanging around with French film critics, including a young Jean-Luc Godard, and later launched his career through these friendships. The photographer’s experience in Indochina, however, is arguably far more remarkable.
The following shots, courtesy of Flickr master manhhai, were taken in 1950s Ha Long Bay from above:
[Photos via Flickr user manhhai]
