Majority of the street names in the Old Quarters starts with the word " Hang ". Hang means merchandise or shop. The guild streets are named after their product.
Hang Bac is one of the oldest streets in Vietnam, dates from at least the 13th Century. Bac means silver, and so today we can find all sorts of jewellers of different types, engravers, smelters, polishers and gold-leaf makers.
Hang Be, in the mid-19th Century, the guild of bamboo makers were located on this street.
Hang Dao street runs from north to south cutting the Old Quarters in half. In the French Colonial times, Hang Dao street is the center of silk trading. Today it specialises in clothings.
Hanoi is the country's second largest city with a population of 7.7 million in year 2015. This city races to make up for time lost to ravages of war and a government that as recently as 1990's kept the outside world at bay.
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| map of Old Quarters in Hanoi |
Its streets surge with scooters vying for right of way amidst the din of constantly blaring horns, and all around layers of history reveals periods of French and Chinese occupation.
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| a shop keeper |
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| Dong Xuan Market |
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| Buddha's fingers- a type of fruit |
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| frogs in market |
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| wait...that's the toilet .... |
Water puppertry is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta, area of northern Vietnam. The puppets are made of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist deep pool. In the old days, when the rice fields flood, the villagers would entertain themselves using this form of puppet play. The theme of the skits are rural and has a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore.
Hanoi offers French colonial architecture, a rich food culture and a long history. The most well-known and important districts in Hanoi are " Ba Dinh district " ( the French Quarters ) where the government offices are located and the " Hoan Kiem district " ( The Old Quarters ), which is considered the busiest and main tourist attraction.
One of Hanoi's most common sights is that of streets packed with scooters, bicycles and cars swarming around pedestrians.
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| morning exercise along Hoan Kiem Lake |
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| Tai Chi |
Hoan Kiem Lake
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| the Turtle Tower in the middle of the Lake |
Hoan Kiem Lake meaning " Lake of the Returned Sword " is a lake in the historical center of Hanoi. The lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city.
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| panaromic view of the Hoan Kiem Lake |
The OLD QUARTERS in Hanoi
packed with charming old colonial architecture, Buddhist temples and pagodas, the Old Quarter located near to Hoan Kiem Lake, in Hoan Kiem district is Hanoi's major commercial district. Its heart and soul is exposed in the ancient commercial streets, which are named after their original businesses dating back to 1000 years !
The preserved shop houses that lie along these streets were built a little over a century ago and were constructed in their long and narrow style to avoid being hit by high taxes. Each has a street facing facade and multiple courtyards inside.
The Cathedral
The late 19th Century Gothic Revival has an architectural style resembling the " Notre Dame " in Paris. The church was one of the first structures built by the French colonial government in IndoChina when it opened in 1886. It is the oldest church in Hanoi.
and then Sept 15th, 9:20am departure from Hanoi International Airport (Noi Bai International Airport)..... and we checked our luggage to make sure its within the weight allowance
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| check out the weighing machine |
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| modern airport |
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