Hanoi's Old Quarter, street by street
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The Hanoi Old Quarter is a square kilometre of narrow streets north of Hoan Kiem lake. It is the reason most people remember the city. It has sights, but the streets are the sight. Each is named for what it sold, many still sell it, and all of them are full from six in the morning.
Where does the Old Quarter begin and end?
The Old Quarter begins at the northern shore of Hoan Kiem lake and runs north to Dong Xuan market. The Red River dyke marks its eastern edge and the railway its western one. Inside those lines it covers about one square kilometre, crossed on foot in twenty minutes.
The streets are short and none of them runs straight for long. Getting briefly lost is normal. Walking south in any direction brings you back to the lake within ten minutes, which is the easiest way to reset.
Why is it called the thirty-six streets?
The thirty-six streets name comes from the merchant guilds of the old town. Each street was given to one trade and named Hang, meaning goods, followed by what was sold there. The quarter holds more than seventy streets, and thirty-six is a traditional figure rather than a count.
| Street | Named for | Sells now |
|---|---|---|
| Hang Bac | Silver | Silver and jewellery, still |
| Hang Ma | Paper goods | Paper offerings, lanterns and decorations |
| Hang Gai | Silk | Silk, tailors and scarves |
| Hang Thiec | Tin | Tinsmiths and metal signs |
| Hang Buom | Sails | Sweets, dried goods and bars |
| Hang Dao | Silk dyeing | Clothes, and the night market |
Hang Ma is the one to see in person. Before the Mid-Autumn festival and Tet its shops fill with lanterns and paper decorations, and the street turns red and gold for weeks.
What should you look for on an Old Quarter walk?
Four things are worth finding on an Old Quarter walk, and all sit within ten minutes of each other. The first is the house at 87 Ma May, a preserved merchant's tube house open for a small fee. Its courtyard and wooden rooms are what the whole quarter was once built from.
Bach Ma temple on Hang Buom is among the oldest temples in the city. It is dedicated to the white horse spirit said to have guided the building of the first citadel. O Quan Chuong, at the eastern edge, is the last of the old city gates still standing, rebuilt in the early nineteenth century.
The fourth is Dong Xuan market at the northern end, the covered wholesale market that supplies half the stalls you walk past. The tube houses guide explains why every building on these streets is two or three metres wide.
When is the Old Quarter night market?
The Old Quarter night market runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings along Hang Dao, from near the lake up to Dong Xuan market. Stalls sell clothes, bags, souvenirs and snacks, and the crowd is mostly young Hanoians rather than visitors.
The night market overlaps the weekend pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem, which closes the streets to traffic from 7pm on Friday until midnight on Sunday. Together they make the weekend evening the easiest time to walk the quarter. The motorbikes that fill it the rest of the week are gone. The Hoan Kiem lake page covers the zone.
Where do you eat and drink in the Old Quarter?
The Old Quarter is where Hanoi eats on the street, and almost every northern dish is sold somewhere inside it. Breakfast pho and banh cuon from six, bun cha and bun dau mam tom at lunch, and grilled food on plastic stools after dark.
The corner of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen becomes a beer street every evening. Low stools spill across the road, and the draught beer is the cheapest in the country. The bia hoi guide explains the glass and the price. Egg coffee was invented a few streets away, and the cafe that claims it is still open.
When is the best time to walk the Old Quarter?
The best times to walk the Old Quarter are early morning and weekend evenings. Between six and eight the streets belong to breakfast stalls and deliveries, and the light is soft. The pavements are still passable before the motorbikes park across them.
Midday is hot and loud, and a weekday evening is the busiest traffic of the day. Rain empties the streets without closing much, since most shops sit under awnings. The pavements guide covers the one skill the quarter demands: crossing the road at a steady walk and never stepping back.
Should you stay in the Old Quarter?
Staying in the Old Quarter makes sense for a first visit of two or three nights. It puts the lake, the food and the walks at the door. The trade-off is noise, from delivery bikes at dawn to bars after midnight. A room on a side street costs little more than one on a main road and sleeps far better.
The Hanoi where to stay guide compares the quarter with the French Quarter and West Lake. The Hanoi things to do page sets out what lies beyond it. The Hanoi guide starts with how long the city needs.
FAQ
Where is the Hanoi Old Quarter?
Directly north of Hoan Kiem lake, between the lake and Dong Xuan market, with the Red River dyke to the east. The whole quarter fits inside about one square kilometre, so it is crossed on foot in twenty minutes and explored in a day.
Why is it called the thirty-six streets?
The name comes from the guild streets of the old merchant town, each named Hang followed by the goods it sold: Hang Bac for silver, Hang Ma for paper goods, Hang Gai for silk. The quarter actually holds more than seventy streets, and thirty-six is a traditional number rather than a count.
What is there to see in the Old Quarter?
The trade streets themselves, the preserved tube house at 87 Ma May, Bach Ma temple, the O Quan Chuong gate, Dong Xuan market and the weekend night market. The quarter is a place to walk rather than a list of sights, and most of what is worth seeing is on the street.
When is the Old Quarter night market?
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, along Hang Dao from the lake up to Dong Xuan market. It runs at the same time as the pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem, which closes the streets to traffic from 7pm on Friday until midnight on Sunday.
Is it a good idea to stay in the Old Quarter?
For a first visit of two or three nights, yes. It puts the lake, the food and most of the city's sights within a walk. The trade-off is noise from early morning to late at night, which the quieter French Quarter to the south avoids.