Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Location: In the north of Hoan Kiem Lake, Hoan Kiem District, Ha Noi.
Characteristics: The Old Quarter was founded from the 11th century as crowded trade area where artisans and traders concentrated to work and set up specific trade streets.
◊ Outstanding Characteristics
The artisans from craft villages around former Thang Long Citadel gathered in areas which specialized in their work. This reason made the trade streets develop more and more. Every streets were noisy, animated in trade and work as miniature craft villages.
The street names were begun with "Hang" and originated from names of types of merchandise produced and traded such as Hang Gai (Silk), Hang Duong (Sugar), Hang Muoi (Salt), etc. Therefore Vietnamese people usually call Ha Noi as Ha Noi 36 streets - guilds, of which street means concentration place of artisans or traders who specialize in same merchandise.
Nowadays, the Old Quarter includes 76 streets and covers an area of 100ha.
◊ Destination of Old Architectural Works
The highlight of the Old Quarter is the tube shape old houses with slopping roofs, mainly built since the 18th, 19th centuries. Besides, visitors will also be attracted by about 100 old architectural works as communal houses, temples, pagodas... typically Bach Ma (White Horse) Temple on Hang Buom Street – one of four defense temples of the ancient Thang Long Citadel.
Especially, to Old Quarter on weekends, visitors will have the opportunity to walk and discover night market.
