Lan Ong - Street Of Herbal Medicine

Most of the streets in Hanoi Old Quarter start with the word “ Hang” and are followed by the goods that the street offers. However, Lan Ong street is not that kind of mainstream as its name means “The Lazy Old Man” in Vietnamese. 

As you set foot near Lan Ong street, you can immediately guess what the street offers, your nose being filled with the herbal fragrance. 

Unlike some other streets in the Old Quarter, most shops here still keep the traditional craft to sell medicinal herbs despite the gone-by of time and changes of the country’s economy. The profession is hande down from generation to generation as an important asset that continue to . Shops in the street close together offer various kinds of medicinal herbs which are either displayed in shop windows or packed in big plastic bags.

Apart from selling herbal medicines, the street is also famous for traditional doctors and pharmacists. An experienced physician is the person who only needs to feel a patient’s pulse to prescribe a medicine. Previously, almost all physicians practiced the medicine by learning from the family members. Now physicians often experience professional training courses or even study abroad to do the job.