German Traveler Remembers Vietnam Before Mass Tourism

A German teacher recalls his first trip to Vietnam, where locals ran away in fear.

The guide introduced him to the village chief, and residents returned to talk.

Grumpe spent 83 days traveling across Vietnam, taking thousands of photos.

At the time, Vietnam had strict travel rules and underdeveloped tourism.

Grumpe's first journey started in Ho Chi Minh City and went to many places.

Hans-Peter Grumpe took photos in Da Nang during his trip from 1991-1993.

He later explored the Central Highlands and border provinces.

Grumpe was one of the first tourists to visit the northern part of Dien Bien Phu.

Locals in remote areas had rarely seen western travelers and called him 'Mr. Soviet'.

Children and adults touched his beard and arm hair out of curiosity.

Grumpe stayed in guesthouses run by provincial people's committees.

Hans-Peter Grumpe is pictured with his guide at My Lai, a massacre site.

Grumpe saw optimism in Vietnam despite the war scars.

He visited sites like the Cu Chi Tunnels and saw unexploded ordnance.

His most haunting memory was from My Lai, where his guide survived a massacre.

The northern highlands left a deep impression on Grumpe, especially Sa Pa.

Entering Sa Pa in 1991 required hours of negotiations with the police.

He stayed in a French colonial villa with bats and rats in his room.

Grumpe recalls the old Sa Pa markets, where people traded goods and socialized.

When he returned in 1993, Sa Pa had changed, with rising tourist numbers.

The local economies had improved during his journeys.

In Hanoi, the streets became busier, with some roads banning cyclos.

East German motorcycles were replaced by Japanese ones by 1993.

Grumpe was sad to see old houses in Hanoi demolished for new developments.

He published his Vietnam photos online and got emotional responses.

A pristine landscape in Sa Pa in 1991 is shown in a photo.

A French architect contacted Grumpe about his photos for a project.

Grumpe's photos were used in the Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Center.

The photos document Vietnam during its early years of economic opening.

Grumpe wanted to return to Vietnam, but nostalgia kept him away.

He wants to preserve memories of old Vietnam.

The old photos are valuable as historical evidence.

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