Hanoi shut down its Instagram-famous 'train street' cafes because they were overrun with selfie-taking tourists. Here's how it go to this point.

The visual contrast of the single train track to homes and cafes has made Hanoi's “train street” a tourist hotspot.

Tourists have been taking photos of themselves standing or sitting on the train tracks.

They also line up dangerously on the side of the tracks, waiting to snag a photo of the passing trains.

Residential homes, vendors, and cafes line the side of the streets.

Some of the houses are about five to 16 feet away from the tracks.

Several cafes have set up tables and chairs alongside the railroad tracks.

There was even a cafe along the tracks named after the attraction: “Hanoi Rail Track Café.”

The cafe claims to have, “a great location, an impeccable space, (and serve) quality coffee,” according to its Facebook page.

Shops in the area started capitalizing on its tourist-riddled location.

Along with the cafe closure demands, authorities have put up barriers to block the walking paths.

Signs along the tracks now tell tourists and locals to not linger in the area, gather a crowd, take photos or videos, or have chairs and tables out along the railroad tracks, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters

The railway was built in 1902 when Vietnam was still controlled by French colonial rulers, according to Tempo.

Source: Tempo

It was once known as a “rough part of town" until the area started gaining social media fame, according to the Guardian.

Source: The Guardian

The trains carry passengers and cargo between Hanoi, Haiphong and secluded and mountainous towns such as Lang Son and Lao Cai.

“There have never been any regretful accidents here,” local cafe owner Le Tuan Anh told The Guardian. He runs his shop from his home next to the tracks.

Source: The Guardian