Episode 4: Quy Nhon 1 - The Vietnamese Train

Though largely fading into Vietnamese societal oblivion, the train is a symbol of the Vietnamese narrative.  Just several decades ago, when air travel and roads weren’t as developed, the train was considered the main mode of transportation. To many at the time, their viewpoints of how they see the train is like the viewpoint of many today and how they see air travel: it was the way to go. Perhaps Vietnamese society had moved on from the train. The history of the train, the station, and the routes predate the Liberation of Saigon. Some even went as far as the French rule. The trains themselves have been operating for over 25 years and thus carry within them historical value. The stories within this train, within the people who ride it, are a benchmark of the humanity of Vietnam or the essence of the people and their values. The stories within the train describe an image of a Vietnam seen from the ordinary eye, an image of Vietnamese reality seen through hardship and elation.