Hanoi's Old Quarter

It is very likely that the first thing tourists do is traveling around Hanoi’s Old Quarter when they come to Vietnam. Hanoi’s Old Quarter has been well known for the history, the architecture and diversity of products.

Located between the Lake of the Restored Sword, the Long Bien Bridge, a former city rampart, and a citadel wall, the Old Quarter  consists  of 36 old streets inside.

Although the old section of Hanoi is often called the "36 Old Streets," there are more than 36 actual streets. Some researchers believe that the number 36 came from the 15thcentury when there might have been 36 guild locations, which were workshop areas, not streets. When streets were later developed, the guild names were applied to the streets.

Visitors will certainly be eager to wander along the old streets to drop by stores and buy specialties. Tourists would like to explore the Old Quarter, with some names of specialized streets: China bowls (Bat Su), roasted fish (Cha Ca), silver or jewelries (Hang Bac), women accessories (Cau Go), shoes and sandals (Hang Dau), silk (Hang Gai), mixed fruits (To Tich), combs (Hang Luoc), jars (Hang Chinh), tour services (Ma May), candies and dry apricot (Hang Duong), fried/roasted sour pork hash (Tam Thuong lane on Hang Bong Street), bamboo products (Hang Buom).

The Old Quarter still retained much of the original traits that interests tourists, especially those with architectural passion. These houses are neither tall buildings as people normally see in cities nor stilt houses on lines of poles, which were popular in Vietnams' mountainous regions these days. They are also called "tubular houses" which are short and narrow but have great length.