10 - 10

Early morning badminton in Hanoi. By early, I mean 5.30 a.m. The sidewalks in many parts of the city are marked out permanently as badminton courts. I've no idea how one gets a turn to play but it's competitive and ordered and looks like a lot of fun.

By the way, the red banners in the background commemorate Capital Liberation Day, which coincidentally is today (10.10.2014) - and hence the "10 -10" on the banners. This year is the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Vietnam from the French occupation and today marks the day when the Vietnamese Army returned to Hanoi to take over administration of the city from the French.

Or put another way, it's the day the French left Vietnam.

Some interesting images of that day here and here, and a poignant story from photographer Nguyen Quang Phung who was in Hanoi on 10.10.1954 to photograph the returning soldiers.